Attendance problems

The school district’s recent summer school session gave students a

chance to catch up on subjects. -- But absenteeism and tardiness

persisted, according to a 2005 Summer School Report for the Burbank

Unified School District.

The report, presented at Thursday’s School Board meeting, included

information on attendance figures and program effectiveness and

teachers’ and principals’ suggestions for improvement for next year’s

sessions.

One suggestion included in the report was that children in the

elementary school program be grouped according to their learning

needs.

“All the children who are in remedial summer school needed

intervention in some way,” said Bret Harte Elementary School

Principal Diane Berger. “In one group it might be because of their

fluency level of English; it could be because some never had

preschool and they’re not starting off on the same level as kids who

attended preschool, or maybe some have a learning disability.”

Although Berger said it would be logistically difficult to

accomplish this, she believed grouping the children according their

needs could provide for more specialized instruction over the summer

school period.

“If the children were grouped a little more carefully by their

specific needs, you could focus on those needs a bit better,” she

said.

The report contained several positive observations about the

secondary summer school program, which serves high school and middle

school students.

The John Burroughs High School textbook clerk provided necessary

books promptly, according to the report. Most of the books were also

returned by students on time.

Through effective campus supervision, disciplinary actions also

remained at a minimum.

Tardiness, however, was a significant problem at both the high

school and middle school levels.

“They find it difficult to get up in the morning,” district Deputy

Supt. Alexis Sheehy said of tardy students. “It’s summertime;

sometimes kids stay out a bit late.”

High school summer school runs from 7:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. and starts

20 minutes earlier than a school day does during the rest of the

year.

Teachers were split in the report’s survey about whether they

believed starting the day earlier would reduce tardiness. According

to the survey, seven teachers agreed that starting later could help.

Seven thought it would not make a difference and four were unsure.

District officials say they have no plans to shift the schedule

any later.

“It would just extend the day too long into the afternoon,” Sheehy

said. “We’ll have to find another way to address it. We will have a

discussion at principals meting to get input from schools for

suggestions for improvement.”

Affecting all levels of the district’s summer school program was

attendance.

According to the report, at the secondary level, 976 students

showed up for first period on the first day of summer school, June

21. On the last day, July 28, 801 students showed up.

Part of the drop in attendance was attributed to students finding

out they had passed classes in the previous academic year and did not

need to take summer school.

Many students sign up for summer school, but miss several days or

don’t attend at all.

“You run into these things at summertime,” Shapiro said. “Families

have vacation plans, students may not be as motivated to attended as

during the year when their friends are all in school, or parents

aren’t as aware of the importance of attending every day the way we’d

like them to be.”

Over the next year, district officials will brainstorm on how to

correct absenteeism.

“We’re not satisfied with attendance rates in summer school,”

Shapiro said. “We’re having lots of discussion on how we can

structure summer school to maximize attendance and maximize

instruction to best serve the needs of students.”

District officials consider the past session of summer school to

overall be very successful.

“It worked out very well,” Sheehy said. “We had an awful lot of

students complete courses and make up credits and be able to

graduate. It’s a wonderful program to assist students who need

remediation.”