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Superintendent presents data linking early absenteeism to lower third‑grade proficiency
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Lawson told the Brandywine School District board that third‑grade Smarter Balanced results strongly correlate with attendance between kindergarten and third grade; students missing 16+ days per year were far more likely to not meet standards. The board discussed MTSS attendance action plans and family engagement.
Superintendent Dr. Lawson told the Brandywine School District board that a cohort analysis shows a strong link between early‑elementary attendance and third‑grade Smarter Balanced proficiency.
Dr. Lawson said the district analyzed 445 students who attended the same Brandy Wine Elementary School from kindergarten through grade three and compared cumulative absences to grade‑three achievement. “Only 17% of the 445 students who missed up to a week of each school year do not meet ELA standards,” Dr. Lawson said, “but 52% of the students who missed 16 or more school days each year do not meet the standards.” He gave similar examples in math, where the gap widened further as absences increased.
The superintendent and staff framed the findings as a rationale for continued attendance interventions. District staff described the MTSS‑based attendance action plan used to intervene before punitive steps: outreach to families, assessments of transportation or hardship, and targeted supports. “We are trying to intervene with support before there are consequences that are negative in nature,” Dr. Lawson said.
Board members pressed for more detail on the causes of absences. Dr. Lawson and staff said the data reflect a mix of reasons — illness, mobility, family hardship and custody changes — and that the MTSS team works to identify root causes and match supports. The superintendent noted that last year’s third‑grade cohort was the first to return to full‑time in‑person instruction after pandemic closures and that kindergarten attendance in 2022 was historically low for that cohort.
School leaders said the district is in year two of an elementary‑level attendance focus (with middle school work beginning) and emphasized the role of family partnership in improving day‑to‑day attendance. The board was told the district will keep monitoring outcomes and urged additional public outreach to strengthen home‑school connections.
The presentation was part of the superintendent’s broader monthly report and included references to targeted programs (music, theater and robotics) and enrichment trips that staff argued support engagement.
