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SFUSD lays out plan to reduce chronic absenteeism, expand restorative practices
Summary
District staff presented baseline attendance data showing a multi‑year rise in chronic absenteeism and outlined a three‑part strategy (awareness, analysis, action), a 7% reduction target by June 2020, two rounds of “nudge” letters and expanded restorative-practices training delivered via a train‑the‑trainer model.
District leaders told the school board on Feb. 25 that chronic absenteeism has climbed and that staff are launching coordinated interventions to reverse the trend.
Chief Mele Lau Smith and Deputy Superintendent Ford Martell presented fall‑to‑fall data showing an increase in chronic absenteeism over the past three years and noted that suspension rates remain relatively low but are disproportionately concentrated among African American and foster‑youth students. The district said it has expanded its tiered‑fidelity inventory to measure restorative‑practices (RP) implementation and reported that 74% of climate teams had members trained in RP, but that consistent classroom use of community‑building circles and broader staff training remain areas for growth.
Staff described a threefold strategy—awareness, analysis and action—aimed at prevention and early intervention. Specific actions include sending two waves of evidence‑based “nudge” letters districtwide, pairing letters with targeted outreach (phone calls or family contacts), piloting home visits, expanding summer programming for English learners and scaling RP through a train‑the‑trainer model so schools deliver multiple in‑site trainings. The superintendent’s office said the first nudge letter would go out in early March, with a second round later that month, and that funding is being sought to continue the intervention.
The board pressed staff for more granular data: site‑level counts, numbers of students in focal groups and the degree to which climate/behavior teams and family‑partnership processes are in place. Commissioners asked how training was tracked, how fidelity would be measured and whether principals and site staff had sufficient capacity. Staff said new dashboards and PD‑tracking tools are being rolled out and that some strategies—such as home visits and identifying bright‑spot schools—are being piloted for scale.
Ending: Staff set a district target to reduce chronic absenteeism by 7% by June 2020 and committed to returning with more detailed, school‑level reporting and measures of training uptake and implementation fidelity.
