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Principal: School-designed professional development helped cut chronic absenteeism at Robert F. Kennedy Elementary
Summary
Principal and community-school staff told the LAUSD Curriculum & Instruction Committee that locally designed professional development, community-based learning and sustained planning time helped reduce chronic absenteeism and improve teacher retention and engagement at Robert F. Kennedy Elementary. Presenters warned sustainability depends on protected funding and clearer district alignment.
The principal of Robert F. Kennedy Elementary told the Los Angeles Unified School District Curriculum & Instruction Committee that school-led professional development and community-centered, project-based learning helped reduce the school's chronic absenteeism dramatically.
"At one point we were at 46% chronic absenteeism. We are 19% right now," the principal said, attributing the change to locally designed PD, community partnerships and student-centered programs such as project-based learning and digital portfolios. The principal identified herself only as "Martha" in the transcript; a community schools coordinator present was named Martha Gonzalez.
The school presentation described an array of locally developed PD and student programs: dual-language and magnet pathways, teacher-led PLCs and "appy hours" for targeted…
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