Nathan Edminster

EDIS 6860
Measure Module
May 20th, 2015

School: Tyler Consolidated High School, 1993 Silver Knight Dr, Sistersville, WV 26175
Name of Counselors Leading the Initiative: Nathan Edminster
Principal: James Yoho
Enrollment: 508
School Demographics:
0%
Hispanic
1.2% African American
0.2% Asian
98.6% Caucasian
22.2% Number of students in special education
0
Number of ESL (ELL) students
53% students on free and reduced lunch

Step 1: Mission
Mission statement: The mission of Tyler Consolidated High School is to make it possible for
ALL students to become self-supporting, contributing, and caring citizens. We shall endeavor to
challenge each student to achieve their ultimate in learning. We shall strive to create and
maintain an environment that fosters mutual respect, and formulates constructive, lifelong
patterns of learning. We shall strive in the development of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking,
decision-making abilities, and the aesthetic appreciation of the arts.
Program mission statement: Our program's mission is to provide an open and welcoming
atmosphere for students to bring us the academic and social/emotional problems that they may
be dealing with. We strive to create this atmosphere through keeping in contact with students,
building relationships with students and reminding them of the resources that are available to
them. We emphasize building character in our students and preparing them to meet the
demands of life after high school.
Discussion with campus principal: (AYP needs). The principle sees high unexcused absence
rates as a possible culprit for low testing scores throughout the school. Increasing attendance
and student motivation will lead to better student progress and overall school progress.

Step 2: Elements
The school counselor as part of the leadership team identified these critical data elements to try
to impact: Absentee rates

Step 3: Analyze
Baseline for total year: Out of a school population of 508 students, there were 987 unexcused
absences.
Goal: Beginning next school year (August 2015), unexcused absences will decrease by 5% by
Christmas. By the end of the school year, unexcused absences will reduce by 10% or 61 total
days.

Step 4: Stakeholders Unite

Beginning date: August 2015
Ending date: May 2015

Stakeholders

Strategies
Through planning and cohesive leadership,
proactive interventions will be made
throughout the school with the collaboration
of external resources to increase awareness
of problems associate with unexcused
absences and positively influence attendance
rates.

Student and Social Services Personnel

Be a liaison between the

school and home of identified students
with excessive unexcused absences
to coordinate services and resources
to families to promote student success
Take note of any attitudes or
lifestyle habits that correlate with
absences
Determine students support
system
Create a plan of action for
dealing with obstacles
Identify the presence of any
emotional disruptions, family issues or
substance abuse issues.

School Counselors

Will inform teachers of

baseline data and the goal that is
desired
Conduct needs assessment
surveys for students, parents and
teachers
Disaggregate data and find
those students who have the most
unexcused absences
Perform school wide surveys
of students pertaining to absenteeism
Meet individually with students
to determine the reasons for excused
absences.
Arrange for parent and student
to meet together with counselor to
discuss patterns of absenteeism and
create a plan for consistent
attendance.
Contact parents of children
and inform them of students absences
as well as inquire on reasons for
absences and
Inform parents of the school's
initiative to reduce absences.
Form group sessions for
students who have the most
unexcused absences
Provide incentives for group
who have made a significant effort to
reduce absences
Implement classroom
presentations on the consequences of
unexcused absences and emphasize
positive alternatives to
attitudes/actions that contribute to
unexcused absences

Behavior Interventionist LSSP

Speak with students

individually who have excessive
unexcused absences
Sake note of any attitudes or
lifestyle habits that correlate with
absences
Determine students support
system
Find and address obstacles to
attending school regularly
Create a plan of action for
dealing with obstacles

 Identify the presence of any

emotional disruptions, family issues or
substance abuse issues.

Teachers

Be familiar with all school

attendance policies
Make an effort to keep in open
dialogue with students who have
multiple unexcused absences
Take note of any classroom
behavior/attitudes that may correlate
with persistent absences
Communicate personally or
through email with counselors
Take regular attendance
Have plan designed for
students who return from absences to
complete missed work and know what
was discussed in class
Have teachers make note of
correlations between student
absentees and insufficient grades

Administrators

Assist and support in the

development of outside resources to
come into the school
Enforce disciplinary actions on
students with excessive unexcused
absences
Be aware of and monitor
student leaving campus or skipping
school

Students

Be familiar with school policies

concerning absenteeism as stated in
school handbook as well as
disciplinary actions that will result.
Attend group
sessions/presentations as advised
Participate honestly in surveys
Meet with counselor and/or
behavioral interventionist every two
weeks to discuss obstacles to
attendance, academics and
social/emotional issues
Have students who are in
group work for unexcused absences
have a buddy for which they can

keep each other accountable

Attend school every day
unless excused
Technology
Community Agency Members

Allowed for retrieval of

disaggregating data
Provide identified families of
students with obstacles to school
attendance with access to community
resources.

Local Colleges

Conduct in school mentoring

programs that can visit with the
groups of student with consecutive
unexcused absences
Present an in school
presentation about the benefits of
higher education and the importance
of developing a foundation of time
management and prioritizing while in
high school

Grants

Have representatives of
government agencies conduct
presentations for school to let them
know about government grants
available for highschool students
Distinguish the difference
between grants and loans as well as
the need for money to go to college
Emphasize the requirements
needed for obtaining a grant

Parents

Do your best to make sure

your child is attending school at all
times
Meet with and discuss
obstacles to attendance with
counselors and administration and
teachers
Be familiar with attendance
policies of school handbook and
disciplinary action that may result

Step 5: Analyze, Reflect, and Revise

Reanalyze

Reflect and Revise

Baseline: (2014-2015 school year) Out of a

school population of 508 students, there were
987 unexcused absences.

Successful: Counseling group for students

with excessive unexcused absences was
successful and relationships were created
between the parents of students and the
counselor. Incentives provided during group
work created motivation and added a fun
aspect to the challenge of overcoming
obstacles.
Themes for not coming to school were
skipping to hang out with friends and not
wanting to come to school because it was
boring.
Redirecting student focus onto the level of
achievement in their life desired and the level
of financial stability they would like to have in
life became a group focus for graduating high
school and making as much effort as possible
to increase attendance.
Parents not being home during the morning
or afternoon hours was also an issue
discovered and enabled students to not get
caught skipping school.

The strategies successfully reduced

unexcused absenteeism by 11% for the 20152016 school year.
Strategies to replace,remove or add?
Next year all students from previous list of
unexcused absence should be checked in
with and monitored at the beginning of school
year to prevent recidivism.
School officer should be more involved in the
initiative for change as it was found that a
number of students were leaving school
during school hours.
More stakeholders should be in place during
the creation of the MEASURE to insure there
is as much cohesion as possible.
Absentee policies should be more thoroughly
and regularly addressed as many students
claimed to not be aware of them.
Incentives for parents

School presentations by the local college,

community agency members and student and
social services personnel were all successful
in conveying the value of attendance in high
school to provide a foundation for students
future.
Unsuccessful: In group session it was found
that students attending the school
psychologist, school counselor and
behavioral interventionist reported some
burnout. Student reported seeing all three
people as excessive and were often
frustrated answering the same questions over
again. This may result in an obstacle to
forming authentic relationships with
counselors and said personnel. Although
parent rapport was built via the telephone,
counselors had a hard time getting parents to
come in and meet face to face. Perhaps
incentives could be provided to parents as
well.

Step 6: Educate
Our MEASURE of Success SPARC - School Counseling Program Accountability Report
Card
School & enrollment: Tyler Consolidated High School, 1993 Silver Knight Dr, Sistersville, WV
26175
Name of Counselors Leading the Initiative: Nathan Edminster
Principal: James Yoho
Enrollment: 508
Principal comments:
Mr. Edminster has spearheaded the efforts to reduce unexcused absences in our school. I have
witnessed the group session conducted with students and have seen an improvement of the
attitudes of these students as they make the connection with attending school now and their
futures. I have encouraged all teachers and administration to cooperate with Mr. Edminsters
plans and welcome outside agencies to present at our school. It is great to see results from a
counselor driven program.

Baseline data & End Data:

For the 2014-2015 school year, out of a school population of 508 students, there were 987
unexcused absences.
In the school year or 2015-2016, there were 878 unexcused absences representing a 11%
reduction.

Interventions completed:
The intervention to reduce unexcused absences by 10% for the 2015-2016 school year was
successfully completed

School Improvement Issues:

The school has been improved by having children present for 109 more days out of the school
year.

Systemic Changes:
Teachers, students, parents and community worked with each other and created a dialogue to
expand the awareness of the prevalence of unexcused absences in our school. The school
body is more conscious of the benefits of good attendance and the need to place school as a
priority in their lives.

Stakeholders Roles:
Student and Social Services Personnel: Provided resources and presentation to the student
body.
School Counselors: Disaggregated data, coordinated all participants involved, initiated parent
contact, implemented group work with students and kept everyone involved and informed on
progress.
Behavior Interventionist/LSSP: Met with students individually to assess needs and gave
speech at pep rally for entire student body. Provided diagnoses for students and identified any
emotional problems with students.
Teachers: Cooperated with counselor and administration. Kept accurate logs of all
attendances. Reported any noted behavior from those students with excessive absences to
counselor.
Administrators: Facilitated outside agencies to present for the school body and worked with a
cooperative spirit with school counselor. Inforced disciplinary action for students based on the
student handbook policies on attendance.
Students: Displayed cooperation in group work with counselor. Showed concern for their
futures.
Community Agency members: Provided resources and presentation to the student body. Met
with school counselor and administration.

PRINCIPAL AND COUNSELOR

AGREEMENT
SCHOOL __TYLER CONSOLIDATION HIGH SCHOOL_______
School Year: 2015-2016
Counselor(s):

Principal: James Yoho

_____Nathan Edminster_______________________

ASSESSED NEED
BASED ON ASSESSMENT AND DATA
Parents: Are not familiar with the school's attendance policy. There are
sometimes obstacles in getting their child to school. These obstacles need to be
further assessed and plans made to overcome them. Many parents express their
child shows no interest or motivation for coming to school. Parents need more
communication with school and help getting kids to school.
Principal/data:
The school counselor as part of the leadership team identified these critical data
elements to try to impact: Absentee rates
Baseline for total year: Out of a school population of 508 students, there were 987
unexcused absences.
Goal: Beginning next school year (August 2015), unexcused absences will decrease
by 5% by Christmas. By the end of the school year, unexcused absences will reduce
by 10% or 99 total days.
Staff: Teachers expressed a diminished level of expectation for students. It was
assessed that teachers and staff need to address unexcused absences more with
students and counselors making for a more open line of communication and
keeping everyone aware.

Student: Many students are not motivated and do not see the value of school.
Students need to be shown how school correlates to being where they want to be in
life. Students are often not aware of how many unexcused absences they have.
More open dialogue with students is needed from teachers and counselors
concerning unexcused absences.

GOAL(S)
HOW PROGRAM WILL AFFECT AYP
Program MEASURE tied to AYP: Measure is tied to AYP by increasing the amount of
days that students are in school. For students to adequately complete their
assignments, they need to have as much classroom time as possible to learn and
practice the information given by their teachers. By reducing unexcused absences,
students will be held accountable and therefore be more likely to attend school
increasing their ability to make adequate progress. Overall, this will increase the
school's ability to meet testing goals and prepare students for graduation.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS USED TO REACH GOAL

Guidance Lessons: Guidance lessons will be facilitated by the school counselors in
the form of routine individual and group meetings. Individual student meetings will
be once every two weeks for the first three months of school and once a month for
the rest of the school year. Guidance lessons will consist of focusing on any issues
of getting to school, social/emotional health of the student and helping him/her see
value in their progress at school. Establishing future goals will also be a focus.
Groups: Group meetings will be held for students identified with significant
patterns of unexcused absences. Group meetings will be twice a week for eight
weeks in the beginning of the school year. Meeting will help students build
relationships and encourage them to see the value in attending school while sharing
similar experiences with others in an effort overcoming shared obstacles.

Responsive Services: Community agencies and social service workers will facilitate
presentations for the student body as well as be involved in the group sessions.
Outside resources will be made available as needed for students and families.
Individual Planning: Will be identified by school counselor in meetings had with
students and parents to overcome obstacles preventing students from attending
school.

ADDITIONAL EXPECTATION
LIST: SCHOOL WIDE TEST RESULTS WILL INCREASE AS A RESULT OF IMPROVED
ATTENDANCE RATES

PROGRAM SUPPORT
Principal: Principal will work in a spirit of collaboration with counselors and
administrators and provide support for outside agencies to come to the school as
needed.
Teachers: Cooperate with counselor and administration. Keep accurate logs of all
attendances. Reported any noted behavior from those students with excessive
absences to counselor.
Parents/Community: Do their best to make sure child is attending school at all
times. Meet with and discuss obstacles to attendance with counselors and
administration and teachers. Be familiar with attendance policies of school
handbook and disciplinary action that may result

Counselors:

SIGNATURES
Principal:

______________________________

____________________________
James Yoho

_____Nathan Edminster_________________________