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A Large Number of Students Are Frequently Absent In Class 770 At Ditmas Middle School |
By: AnnMarie Kennedy
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Introduction: |
THREE out of FOUR students who are severely, chronically absent in the sixth grade never graduate high school (York, 2015). ONE out of FIVE NYC public school students, more than 200,000 students, missed a month or more of school last year (York, 2015). In order for students to be successful in every subject, they must attend school on a daily basis to receive proper instruction and practice in specific skill areas. If a student misses 10 percent of a school year, for any reason, that is considered to be chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism begins to rise in middle school and continues climbing through 12th grade, with seniors often having the highest rate of all (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012). Data shows that absenteeism is most common in students who come from low-income families, and that neither gender nor ethnicity effect absenteeism.
Students who are chronically absent are usually the ones who are performing below the standards for their grade level. In this class, there are students who are chronically absent and therefore are missing a lot of instructional time, group work, and assignments. These students are missing crucial steps in their learning process which is going to negatively affect their future. Students who are performing well are students who are typically on time, and present on a daily-basis. Think about your own academic record; are you continuously missing school? How can you successfully complete assignments and learn new concepts if you are constantly absent? Have you ever started watching a movie halfway through? Can you get to level 10 of a video game without completing levels 1 – 9? Have you ever started reading a book by opening up to the middle? You cannot complete these everyday tasks without going through the entire process, so why is school any different?
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Task |
You are going to be acting as a news reporter, by gathering accurate information about absenteeism to report why it is a problem in class 770. It is your job to find reliable information and create a presentation based on the Public Policy Analyst that will include the causes of absenteeism and suggestions that may help improve absenteeism in class 770, and Ditmas Middle School as a whole. This presentation can be in the form of a Poster Board or a PowerPoint, which must be engaging and attractive. You will be working in pre-determined groups and will each be held accountable for a summary write up of how you contributed to your group’s success. You will have the entire week during class to gather research and collectively create your project with your group.
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The Process |
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1. Students will be assigned to their groups and each given a laptop in order to start conducting their research about Absenteeism.
2. Each student should be individually researching the topic in order to contribute to the overall research of the group. Students will be researching and completing the following worksheets on their own.
·
Step
1 – Define the Problem
Worksheet1: "Defining the social problem"(MSWORD)
· Step 2 – Gather the
Evidence
Worksheet2:
"Gathering evidence of the problem"(MSWORD)
·
Step
3 – Identify the Causes of the Problem
Worksheet3:
"Identifying the cause of the problem"(MSWORD)
·
Step
4 – Describe and Evaluate existing Policies
Worksheet4:
"Evaluating Existing Public Policies"(MSWORD)
· Step 5 – Develop
several Policy Solutions
Worksheet5:
"Developing public policy solutions"(MSWORD)
·
Step
6 – Select the Best Policy
Worksheet6:
"Selecting the best public policy solution" (MSWORD)
3. Students can use the following websites to help them with their research.
· Websites that will help with Step 1 and Step 2
o http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/nyregion/21attend.html?_r=0
o http://new.every1graduates.org/the-importance-of-being-in-school/#comments
o http://www.nyc.gov/html/truancy/html/home/home.shtml
· Websites that will help with Step 3 and 4
o http://www.nyc.gov/html/truancy/html/home/home.shtml
o http://www.nyc.gov/html/truancy/downloads/pdf/tru_tf_overview.pdf
o http://jgc.stanford.edu/resources/policy_fact_sheets/Absence_Interventions_PFS.pdf
4. Students will come together to share their findings and pool all of their information together. They will compare and contrast the evidence that each of them found on their own in order to decide what is going to make it to their presentation. Students must also make a group decision about how they are going to present their information; on a Poster Board or in a Power Point.
5. Students should come up with a rough draft of their presentation and make sure that all requirements from the rubric are met. Students should make sure they are presenting their information in an engaging and attractive way.
6. Students will being creating their final group presentation.
7. Once the presentation is complete, each student will write an individual reflection about how their group worked together and what they contributed to the overall group work. They should also reflect on their own attendance and comment how their view of attendance has been changed by participating in this Web Quest Activity. This reflection piece should be at minimum one paragraph and at maximum two paragraphs.
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The Conclusion |
You have now successfully analyzed a major problem that is occurring in our
class, and in many New York City Public Schools. You have conducted
individual research using the internet and combined information in your groups
to make a strong presentation about Absenteeism. You have reflected about
your participation and own performance in the group as well as your attendance
percentage. Now you know the true effects that being chronically absent has on
the growth, development, and overall success of students. Be sure to
remember that the choices you make now about your education will directly
influence your academic future. Well done!!
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The Evaluation |
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PowerPoint
Rubric |
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ELEMENT |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Partially Proficient |
Unsatisfactory |
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Research and Note taking |
3 points Note cards indicate you accurately researched a variety of information sources, recorded and interpreted significant facts, meaningful graphics, accurate sounds and evaluated alternative points of view. |
2 points Note cards show you recorded relevant information from multiple sources of information, evaluated and synthesized relevant information. |
1 point Note cards show you misinterpreted statements, graphics and questions and failed to identify relevant arguments. |
0 points Note cards show you recorded information from four or less resources, did not find graphics or sounds, and ignored alternative points of view. |
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Introduction |
3 points The
introduction presents the overall topic and draws the audience into the presentation
with compelling questions or by relating to the audience's interests or
goals. |
2 points The introduction is clear and coherent and relates to the topic. |
1 point The introduction shows some structure but does not create a strong sense of what is to follow. May be overly detailed or incomplete and is somewhat appealing to the audience. |
0 points The introduction does not orient the audience to what will follow. The sequencing is unclear and does not appear interesting or relevant to the audience. |
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Content |
3 points The content is written clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. The project includes motivating questions and advanced organizers. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea. Information is accurate, current and comes mainly from * primary sources. |
2 points The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources. |
1 point The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information with few facts. Some of the information may not seem to fit. Sources used appear unreliable. |
0 points The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information and only one or two facts about the topic. Information is incomplete, out of date and/or incorrect. Sequencing of ideas is unclear. |
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Layout |
3 points The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings and white space. |
2 points The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately. |
1 point The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or uses a distracting background. |
0 points The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use spacing, headings and subheadings to enhance the readability. |
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Citations |
3 point Sources of information are properly cited and the audience can determine the credibility and authority of the information presented. All sources of information are clearly identified and credited using appropriate citation format. |
2 points Most sources of information use proper citation format, and sources are documented to make it possible to check on the accuracy of information. |
1 point Sometimes copyright guidelines are followed and some information, photos and graphics do not include proper citation format. |
0 points No way to check validity of information. |
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Graphics, Sound and/or Animation |
3 points The graphics, sound and/or animation assist in presenting an overall theme and enhance understanding of concept, ideas and relationships. Original images are created using proper size and resolution, and all images enhance the content. There is a consistent visual theme. |
2 points The graphics, sound/and or animation visually depict material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of information or content. Original images are used. Images are proper size, resolution. |
1 point Some of the graphics, sounds, and/or animations seem unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance the overall concepts. Most images are clip art or recycled from the internet. Images are too large/small in size. Images are poorly cropped or the color/resolution is fuzzy. |
0 points The graphics, sounds, and/or animations are unrelated to the content. Graphics do not enhance understanding of the content, or are distracting decorations that create a busy feeling and detract from the content. |
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Writing Mechanics |
3 points The text is written with no errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. |
2 points The text is clearly written with little or no editing required for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. |
1 point Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors distract or impair readability. (3 or more errors) |
0 points Errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, usage and grammar repeatedly distract the reader and major editing and revision is required. (more than 5 errors) |
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TOTAL POINTS |
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Rubric
for Graphic Organizers Inspiration
Diagrams/Concept Maps |
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CATEGORY |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Unsatisfactory |
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Arrangement of Concepts |
Main concept easily identified; subconcepts branch appropriately from main idea |
Main concept easily identified; most subconcepts branch from main idea. |
Main concept not clearly identified; subconcepts don’t consistently branch from main idea. |
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Graphics |
Graphics used appropriately; greatly enhance the topic and aid in comprehension; are clear, crisp and well situated on the page. |
Graphics used appropriately most of the time; most graphics selected enhance the topic, are of good quality, and are situated in logical places on the page. |
Graphics used inappropriately and excessively; graphics poorly selected and don’t enhance the topic; some graphics are blurry and ill-placed. |
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Content |
Reflects essential information; is logically arranged; concepts succinctly presented; no misspellings or grammatical errors |
Reflects most of the essential information; is generally logically arranged; concepts presented without too many excess words; fewer than three misspellings or grammatical errors. |
Contains extraneous information; is not logically arranged; contains numerous spelling and grammatical errors. |
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Text |
Easy to read/ appropriately sized; no more than three different fonts; amount of text is appropriate for intended audience; boldface used for emphasis. |
Most text is easy to read; uses no more than four different fonts; amount of text generally fits intended audience. |
Font too small to read easily; more than four different fonts used; text amount is excessive for intended audience. |
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Design |
Clean design; high visual appeal; four or fewer symbol shapes; fits page without a lot of scrolling; color used effectively for emphasis. |
Design is fairly clean, with a few exceptions; diagram has visual appeal; four or fewer symbol shapes; fits page well; uses color effectively most of time. |
Cluttered design; low in visual appeal; requires a lot of scrolling to view entire diagram; choice of colors lacks visual appeal and impedes comprehension. |
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Common Core State Standards |
WRITING, SPEAKING, & LISTENING ELA STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 - Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 - Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 - Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 7 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
HISTORY KEY IDEAS, DETAIL, AND INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 - Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Works Cited
Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). The Importance of Being in School - A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation's Public Schools. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools.
Robert Balfanz, V. B. (2012). The Importance of Being in School - A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation's Public Schools. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools.
York, T. C. (2015). The Challenege. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from Mayor's Interagency Task Force On Truancy, Chronic Absenteeism, and School Engagement: http://www.nyc.gov/html/truancy/html/home/home.shtml