John Bartram High School, situated in Southwest Philadelphia, faced a significant challenge: chronic absenteeism. Upon his arrival in fall 2019, Principal Brian R. Johnson recognized a critical issue within the school’s data – attendance was being overlooked, despite the school’s location in a high-poverty area and grappling with substantial absenteeism rates. This realization became the catalyst for a remarkable transformation at John Bartram High.
Over the subsequent two years, Principal Johnson spearheaded a comprehensive attendance improvement initiative. This involved establishing a dedicated school attendance team, appointing and training an attendance designee, recruiting essential support staff, and leveraging data to inform, motivate, and guide a school-wide effort. The results were striking: an 8 percentage point increase in the attendance rate, climbing from 72% to an impressive 80%. Johnson emphasized that the foundation of this progress lay in enhancing the school environment and tackling the high rates of student suspensions. “Our attendance is better this year than last year, and I think that is because of the work that we are doing and how focused we are,” Johnson noted, highlighting the direct correlation between their focused strategies and positive outcomes at John Bartram High School.
Building a Foundation: The Attendance Team at John Bartram High
Principal Johnson understood the fundamental link between consistent attendance and academic success. His prior experience as part of the Philadelphia team in the National Success Mentors initiative, which aimed to support students at risk of chronic absenteeism, reinforced this belief. Analyzing John Bartram High School’s attendance data confirmed that boosting academic achievement was unattainable without first addressing student presence in the classroom. The student body at John Bartram High is primarily composed of African American students, including a significant population of African immigrant families, alongside a smaller group of Central American immigrant families.
Johnson’s initial weeks at John Bartram High involved a deep dive into daily attendance data. He quickly engaged school staff, initiating twice-weekly data reviews for about a month. Initially, staff members were unclear about the purpose of this data scrutiny. “It took some time to galvanize momentum, because this was a foreign concept in this space,” Principal Johnson explained. Attendance concerns were previously viewed through a disciplinary lens, focusing solely on students out of class and in hallways, rather than a holistic attendance perspective.
A turning point occurred when Climate Liaison Simone Knight demonstrated interest and comprehension of the issue. Principal Johnson appointed her as the school’s attendance designee, entrusting her to co-lead the attendance improvement efforts. Knight’s role became pivotal in coordinating systems for monitoring student data – both group and individual – and implementing a multi-tiered support system at John Bartram High School.
Cultivating a Welcoming School Climate
Simone Knight collaborated closely with Shirley Carroll*, the District of Philadelphia attendance coach. Carroll played a crucial role in data analysis, identifying trends and patterns in student attendance, such as common attendance behaviors among specific student groups. Her insights were invaluable to the principal’s attendance team. The team recognized that John Bartram High’s school climate needed improvement, lacking a strong emphasis on relationship building and student connection. To address this, they introduced incentives and positive reinforcement, utilizing social media and other platforms to foster a more positive school environment and acknowledge students with satisfactory attendance (those missing less than 5% of school days).
For students categorized as at-risk (missing 5-10% of school), John Bartram High implemented a more personalized approach, incorporating regular check-ins with staff. For students experiencing chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more), Knight organized traditional student attendance improvement conferences. These conferences brought together families, guardians, school counselors, and school climate coaches, ensuring teachers were also informed about decisions and support plans implemented for each student.
Principal Johnson and the school team provided training for hourly school climate support staff, emphasizing the importance of daily attendance data review. Climate managers were trained to proactively reach out to students and families, facilitating their reconnection with the school community. Furthermore, John Bartram High staff participated in professional development focused on relationship building techniques and the importance of positive greetings at school entrances.
Addressing Suspensions and Embracing Restorative Practices
Julian Graham, the school’s Climate Manager, concurrently focused on enhancing the school climate by reducing student suspensions at John Bartram High. Graham began by assessing the existing school environment and understanding the context. He prioritized building rapport with students and carefully examined the reasons behind suspensions. In some instances, Graham even conducted home visits to better understand students’ situations.
John Bartram High made a significant shift by eliminating suspensions for minor infractions. The school adopted a restorative approach, empowering students to take responsibility for their actions and, where appropriate, participate in determining consequences. Graham observed that this restorative approach also fostered greater parent involvement.
The school established a dedicated Student Success Center for students facing in-school suspension for minor offenses. This space provided a structured learning environment during suspension periods. Graham emphasizes that John Bartram High now primarily focuses suspensions on major offenses, and the school team is actively working to reduce these incidents through engagement with community partners.
A specific area of focus for John Bartram High is supporting incoming ninth-grade students. Research indicates that ninth graders often face challenges adjusting to a new academic environment, which can lead to lower attendance rates. At John Bartram High, ninth graders had the second-lowest attendance rates within the school. The establishment of the Ninth Grade Academy aimed to set clear expectations for strong attendance from the outset. Principal Johnson also assigned a dedicated climate manager to this grade level. Remarkably, the freshman class achieved the best attendance in the school in the past academic year, exceeding a 95% attendance rate. This represented a 6.8% increase from the pre-COVID 2019-20 school year and a substantial 19.2% increase from the 2018-19 school year. Moreover, the average daily attendance for freshmen was 87.2%, surpassing the district average by 2%, as highlighted by Johnson. These improvements significantly increase the number of students at John Bartram High on track for college and career readiness.
A successful Tier 2 intervention strategy at John Bartram High is the “Front Door” initiative. This involves a teacher with a positive relationship with a student scheduling a conversation to address attendance barriers. If the student is receptive, the teacher gradually involves other support staff to assist the student in overcoming these challenges. Initially designed for incoming ninth graders, the Front Door program has been expanded to benefit students in all grades and is now integrated into the school’s advisory infrastructure for every student at John Bartram High.
Navigating the Challenges of COVID-19
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 presented new attendance challenges. John Bartram High staff concentrated on maintaining student engagement and attendance during fully remote learning. They consistently contacted families, employing persistent outreach until connections were established. “We continually reached out to students and families in many different ways, and we met them wherever they were, so that families felt comfortable with our support,” Johnson stated.
Ensuring equitable access to technology was paramount. John Bartram High ensured every enrolled student had a functional computer, provided by the district. However, internet access remained a barrier in this underserved community. The school formed a “tech team” and partnered with Comcast to assist families in resolving outstanding internet bills, overcoming language barriers, and addressing any obstacles to establishing internet connectivity for students. For one student experiencing homelessness during the pandemic, John Bartram High arranged a personal hotspot, enabling her to keep up with her schoolwork and ultimately achieve valedictorian status, as Principal Johnson proudly shared.
A novel strategy, “Critical Conversations,” was introduced during the pandemic, significantly enhancing school climate at John Bartram High. Facilitated by Brian L. Johnson (Climate Manager, sharing the same name as the principal), Graham, and other climate team members, these discussions initially took a written format, encouraging students to express themselves openly and ask questions. The conversations evolved into addressing difficult topics, including gang issues within the school and community, and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Principal Johnson noted, “We are unusual in that we have many Black men working at the school as staff. Both boys and girls said they were asking questions they felt they couldn’t ask other people, because they don’t see people who looked like them, or like us.”
Principal Johnson continued to utilize student-level data throughout the pandemic to motivate teachers and enhance student engagement. Staff identified students at risk of chronic absenteeism and developed individualized attendance plans. Jennifer Reed, Assistant Principal, explained that these plans aimed to foster students’ understanding and accountability regarding their own attendance, linking it to both short-term and long-term academic success. This approach proved particularly beneficial for students transferring to John Bartram High. Principal Johnson stated, “We had really frank and honest discussions with them about what we can do to support them to make sure that regular attendance is part of what happens.” Of the approximately 32 transfer students in the past school year, only one was referred for truancy services, a testament to the program’s effectiveness.
Looking Ahead: Building a Sustainable Attendance Culture
As students returned to school in fall 2021, John Bartram High remained committed to fostering an attendance culture that connects students and families with the school. The core message remained consistent: regular attendance is crucial for academic progress. The school year commenced with orientation for every student, and plans were underway to empower student leaders to assist new students. John Bartram High implemented a new Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework, maintaining a student-centered approach.
The Front Door initiative and Critical Conversations continue to be integral parts of John Bartram High’s strategy. Climate Manager Johnson emphasized that Critical Conversations have opened communication channels, fostering trust and bridging the gap between students and school staff. “I think this also helped attendance, because the kids began to understand that we really do care about them,” he concluded, underscoring the profound impact of care and connection on improving attendance at John Bartram High School.
* This post is dedicated to Shirley Carroll, District of Philadelphia attendance coach, in honor of her dedication to students.
