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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 20, 2006 North Medford's pilot program boosts attendance By PARIS ACHEN Mail Tribune Nearly two months after instituting a pilot program that requires pupils with unexcused absences to make up missed work, North Medford High School's attendance rate has climbed slightly but still does not meet the federal benchmark, school officials reported Tuesday. "I believe we have a start, and the indicators are that the policy is working in the right direction," said Rick Parsagian, an assistant principal at North Medford. "I also believe there is a huge amount of work to do to help other groups of students get to school and be successful. We are just scratching the surface." The Medford School Board approved the pilot on Feb. 21, effectively nulling the former policy at North Medford of deducting credits from students with three unexcused absences. The loss-of-credit policy remains in effect at South Medford High School as district officials scrutinize the initial results of the change at North. In the meantime, North Medford officials said they plan to seek approval to continue the pilot indefinitely. Advertisement District officials are trying to discern whether the loss-of-credit policy complies with state law. The law states attendance may not be the only criterion for reducing a student's grade or denying credit, though it may be a factor. The loss-of-credit policy gives pupils a failing grade after the third unexcused absence but allows students to make up credit by signing and following a contract with their teacher, which sets out certain expectations concerning school work and attendance. Donnie Frazier, an assistant principal at South Medford, said the loss-of-credit policy helped boost attendance between 2001 and 2005, though in the past two years the rate has plateaued at around 90 percent. "Loss of credit is a red flag," Frazier said. "It initiates communication." But some North Medford officials said the loss-of-credit policy can have a psychological effect on some pupils that prompts them to drop out of the class and never return. The new policy at North Medford requires a student with an unexcused absence to attend detention to catch up on missed work. After the fourth unexcused absence, a student would face Saturday school. If a pupil missed a class a fifth time, the consequence would be suspension. Since the pilot began Feb. 22, the attendance rate at North Medford increased from 89.6 percent to 90.9 percent, school officials said. Unexcused absences declined from 56.1 percent to 32.5 percent of total absences, they said. For a school to comply with No Child Left Behind, Bush's signature education law, the attendance rate must be at least 92 percent. After 10 unexcused absences, a pupil is considered a dropout in Oregon, and the school loses about $5,000 in state funding per student. Lisa Ulrey, attendance officer, said the new policy at North Medford is working. One student recently distributed fliers calling for a rally against the new attendance policy, Ulrey said. On the day of the rally, no one showed up, she said. "The items the students are upset about are holding them accountable for being at school," Parsagian said. "Sure there's going to be grumbling." Officials from both high schools emphasized that efforts to ramp up attendance must be multifaceted, including examining whether a student's coursework is challenging enough, or in some cases, too difficult. In combination with the new policy, North Medford officials have taken other measures to increase attendance, including hiring an attendance officer, asking students to sign attendance contracts and making personal phone calls to the parents of chronically absent students those with more than three unexcused absences to report absences and explain consequences. Previously, the school relied solely on an automated system to inform parents of students' absences. South Medford has implemented some of the same measures as North Medford to build attendance. Among them are phone calls home and a part-time attendance officer. North and South high school officials said they hope to eventually involve law enforcement in reforming chronically absent students. The Southern Oregon Education Service District is currently negotiating with the Jackson County District Attorney's Office and the Medford Police Department to start citing families whose children repeatedly miss school. Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4459 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement