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Attendance office reports early gains: 232 referrals and 77 students reconnected under chronic-absence initiative
Summary
NOLA-PS staff told the committee the district’s chronic absenteeism initiative had logged 232 referrals (target 250) and reconnected 77 students through Rose and outreach efforts; staff emphasized parent engagement and cross‑agency support.
District staff presented early results from the chronic absenteeism initiative at the March 24 meeting, saying targeted outreach and new attendance processes are producing measurable early gains.
Lisonbee Creighton, who leads the district's attendance work, described four coordinated touchpoints — an Everyday Counts attendance campaign, an attendance‑hearing office, a team focused on reconnecting disconnected students, and transitions work for students coming out of secure care. He told the committee that as of March 10 the attendance‑hearing office had received 183 recommendations; by the committee meeting that number had risen to 232, and the team is aiming for 250 referrals and beyond.
Creighton said the office has connected 77 students through the Rose initiative and related reengagement work and cited a roughly $1.7 million investment in Everyday Counts grants for schools (59 schools awarded grants). He said most early referrals reflect parent disengagement and that the office pursues “100% contact” on each referral and then sustains support rather than making a single contact.
“These coordinated supports ensure that students and families receive timely outreach and effective interventions which result in measurable improvements,” Creighton said, describing improvements in tracked cases where students moved from near‑zero attendance to regularly attending several days a week after interventions.
Board members asked for more granular data — including which schools are participating, how many referred students are English‑language learners, and outcomes broken down by program referrals — and staff committed to follow‑up reports. Superintendent Fatima Fulmore and Creighton said work remains early and that more detailed cross‑system data (including state reporting platforms) is being developed to expand monitoring.
What’s next: Staff will provide follow‑up data and a more detailed report on participation and outcomes, and will present a fuller update at an upcoming regular board meeting.
