Ferndale Schools Working to Reduce Absenteeism and Increase Engagement

Ferndale colleges are working to scale back absenteeism and improve engagement

(Ferndale Faculties Superintendent Camille Hibbler, January 6, 2025)

Ferndale, MI – Final month, in our replace to REACH’s Dynamic Strategic Plan, we centered on the essential work of supporting our educators by way of related and responsive workforce improvement. This month, I’m excited to spotlight our dedication to the second letter of our strategic plan: E – Engaged & Empowered College students.

Our precedence right here is rooted within the elementary perception that studying is barely potential when college students are constantly current and actively engaged.

A pupil can solely study when she or he is at school. That is why we’re intensely centered on lowering persistent absenteeism, particularly at the highschool degree, with formidable annual objectives to scale back charges at each College Excessive College and Ferndale Excessive College. Power absenteeism is outlined as lacking 10% or extra of the varsity yr (roughly two college days monthly) for any purpose. Within the 2023-2024 college yr, 51% of FHS college students and 78% of UHS college students had been chronically absent.

For the longer term, our objective is to scale back persistent absenteeism yearly by at the very least 6% at FHS and by 10% at UHS.

In apply, this work will embody personalised, community-based assist to deal with the limitations that stop college students from commonly attending. Nevertheless, we can not do that alone as a result of making certain college students attend class is a community-wide effort. Be part of us in encouraging and supporting our college students in order that they arrive to class each day keen and wanting to study.

Pupil engagement begins with a basis of security, assist and preparedness. To create this setting, we’re actively implementing methods to scale back extracurricular suspensions in our center and excessive colleges.

Past coverage, we’re deepening our dedication to equality: by 2028, we are going to launch and assist three focused packages designed to take away limitations for underrepresented teams.

Finally, our success lies within the pupil expertise. We outline progress by the share of scholars who really feel they really belong and know they’ve a trusted grownup to show to inside their college neighborhood.

One other necessary precedence is getting ready college students for all times after commencement. To increase these pathways, we goal to extend the variety of college students who full twin enrollment and AP programs, earn trade credentials, and submit the FAFSA by 2027. These milestones make sure that each pupil, whatever the path chosen, is absolutely ready for faculty, profession and past. Investing in assist for attendance, school and profession preparation, and your complete pupil expertise is how we create colleges the place each pupil feels seen, linked, and ready for his or her subsequent chapter.

We stay up for sharing continued updates on our strategic plan because it addresses this essential precedence space and the remaining to come back. Our college students are the longer term.

Study extra about Ferndale colleges at https://www.ferndaleschools.org/

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