REFERENCES

1. Contributing Factors of Absenteeism-https://www.doe.in.gov/student-

services/attendance/contributing-factors-absenteeism
2. School Characteristics Related to Student Engagement
Jeremy D. Finn and Kristin E. Voelkl

The Journal of Negro Education

Vol. 62, No. 3 (Summer, 1993), pp. 249-268-

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2295464

3. Withdrawing From School

Jeremy D. Finn

First Published June 1, 1989 -

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00346543059002117

4.

Adams, RS, Biddle, BJRealities Anderson, LWStudent involvement in learning and school
of teaching: Explorations with achievementCalifornia Journal of Educational
video tape1970New YorkHolt, Research19752625362 Google Scholar
Rinehart and Winston Google
Scholar

Anderson, LW, Scott, CCThe Classroom Process Scale (CPS):

An approach to the measurement of teaching
effectiveness1978aMarchPaper presented at the annual
meeting of the American Educational Research
AssociationToronto, Ontario Google Scholar

Anderson, LW, Scott, CCThe relationship among teaching

methods, student characteristics, and student involvement in
learningJournal of Teacher Education1978b2935257 Google
Scholar,Link

5. Dealing With Chronic Absenteeism and Its Related Consequences: The Process and Short-Term Effects of
a Diversionary Juvenile Court Intervention

David Mueller &Cody Stoddard

Pages 199-219 | Published online: 16 Nov 2009-

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327671espr1102_5

6. Present and Accounted for: Improving Student Attendance Through Family and
Community Involvement

Joyce L. Epstein &Steven B. Sheldon-

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220670209596604?src=recsys

7. What is Home Visitation?-

https://www.ahvna.org/?page=webpages&menucat=45&id=248&action=dis
playpage
 8.

WHAT IS HOME VISTATION?

What is Home
Visitation?
download the pdf brochure

What does in-home mentoring look like?

"My two year old had just started to walk and wasn't talking yet and he would get frustrated
and have tantrums. She (my home visitor) had lots of experience with toddlers. She showed
me how to wrap him up in a blanket so he wouldn't injure himself or me. She got to know
me and my son. One time she said, "Well, try copying what he's doing, it will make him
laugh." And during the week I tried that on my own and it worked!"

Home visitation is a voluntary free-of-charge program for Alberta families with children from
newborn to six years of age. Priority is given to children in the 0-3 years age range. Home
visitors stop by weekly in the parents' home to enhance parenting skills, provide information
on child development, child health and other aspects of positive family functioning.

Home visitors build relationships with families with the aim of helping them perceive and
build on their own strengths. They spur families on to greater success through on-going
support and by connecting them with community agencies that can provide additional
assistance.

Participation in the program can be intensive and long-term depending on the needs of the
children and family. Weekly visits may gradually be reduced to monthly. Families may take
part in the program for up to 6 years, depending on individual needs.

Families are referred to the program by a public health nurse, social worker or through self-
referral. The screening and assessment process is completed by public health nurses,
family assessment workers or family support workers.

Home Visitation is the cornerstone of programs such as Healthy Families America, Healthy
Start, Great Kids Inc., Parents as Teachers, Teaching Family Model and First Step projects
and a key component of several others including Head Start, Early Head Start and Early
Intervention for Children with Developmental Delays.

Goals of the Home Visitation Programs funded by Alberta Children's Services:

 promote positive parent-child relationships

 improve parenting knowledge and skills
 foster healthy child development
 help families access the network of formal and informal services and supports available in
their own communities

How do you connect parents with the community?

"I have a baby and two other children. One thing my home visitor did was to tell me about
an agency in the city who had volunteers who would come to my house and just watch the
kids for three hours so I could have a shower or just take a break or get some other things
done. I never would have known about that program."

Why is it home-based?
"Transportation is a big concern. Some of the mothers I see live on farms and don't have
vehicles during the day. The expense and effort involved in going to a centre-based
program would be too much for them."

"I would not feel as open if I needed to see my home visitor in an office somewhere. I have
other professionals working with my son in my home. She is there with me for those times
and she makes me feel like my input is important."

5 Steps for Effective Home Visits

BY DOROTHY CROUCH / 08 DEC 2016 / 1 COMMENT

No longer reserved for home-schooled or troubled students, home visits

are a great way to bridge the gap between parents and educators.
Increasingly, the role of parent engagement in a student’s education is being recognized as vital.
While teachers can connect with parents via email, Facebook, on-campus meetings, and during
report card distribution, home visits are gaining recognition as valuable tools to create a strong
support system for all students. Begin outlining a plan for home visits to create a dynamic of trust
and shared responsibility between teachers and parents.

1. Collaborate with Colleagues

Before taking any steps to contact parents or organize home visits, teachers must meet
withadministration and faculty. The goal of conducting home visits is to establish greater
communication, therefore starting with colleagues is the best, most effective method for clearing the
path toward understanding and transparency. Prior to planning home visits, theNational Education
Association (NEA) advises the following:
 half — if not more — of the faculty should be willing
 no member of the staff should be forced to participate or penalized for lack of participation
 teachers should be paid for this time
 everyone should participate in a training program prior to the visit.

2. Introduce Yourself
 Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
Parents who recognize the genuine interest teachers have in their lives will be more responsive to
home visits. Before reaching out to parents regarding a potential home visit, send an introduction
note. In a letter sent via email or with a student, relay interest in collaborating in their child’s future.
Outline all methods of keeping in touch: telephone number, email address, and class Facebook
page — if applicable. Emphasize that your most important priority is their child’s education and
success relies on strong parent-teacher collaboration.

3. Do Your Homework for Home Visits

Prior to meeting with parents, assign a project to students through which they will provide
background regarding their families. Suggest that students include information such as whether their
family is headed by a single parent, follows a nuclear model, or comprises a large, supportive
extended family unit of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. If possible, ask students to identify
parent careers, interests, accomplishments, and the types of activities they enjoy most with family
members. Pursuing this type of research allows teachers to gain insight into the family environment
and provides casual conversation starting points to put everyone at ease when home visits begin.

4. Keep it Comfortable

Parents who don’t understand that home visits have

become an opportunity to collaborate with teachers might still believe that educators want to come to
their homes to discuss troubled students. Prior to home visits, emphasize that this meeting is not to
discuss misbehavior, troubled students, or poor grades, but an opportunity to form a strong parent-
teacher relationship that has been founded in trust and mutual respect. NEA suggests teachers
conduct home visits in pairs and avoid behavior that could be misinterpreted by parents as an
intrusive examination of their families’ lives.

5. Remain Available
Nothing will quickly destroy parents’ confidence in their child’s teacher more than broken promises.
Following home visits, remain true to the teacher responsibilities agreed upon in the meeting and
respond promptly to parent concerns. If parents are offered email addresses,social media account
information, or telephone numbers to keep in touch with teachers, they expect educators to be
available by responding to messages within a reasonable amount of time.
Still unsure where to begin? Many resources are now available for teachers who want to incorporate
home visits into their teaching methods. Parent Teacher Home Visits trains teachers regarding
proper approaches to home visits and provides support. The organization is recognized by the
United States Department of Education as a provider of “…high-impact strategy for family
engagement.” Throughout the process, keep in mind that greater communication between
parents and teachers can help children succeed in the classroom, and home visits are a great way
to start.
What is Home Visitation? In Alberta, community home visitation programs are offered to parents and
parents-to-be as a support in raising children to be healthy, safe and secure. Home visitation focuses on
strengthening and supporting families by: • building relationships • teaching problem-solving skills •
encouraging positive parent-child relationships • supporting early child growth and development Early
childhood development literature clearly demonstrates the years between zero to six are foundational
years. Early developmental experiences set lifelong patterns related to communication, physical
development and learning. In the early years the issues of bonding and environmental stimulation are
particularly important. Home visitation aims to focus on these areas of development. “ It’s rewarding to
have families let us into their lives, to see the trust develop and then evolve so that the family can then
participate fully in their community, giving back, as well as receiving services.” – A family home visitor

What does home visitation look like? Home visitors meet with families regularly, often weekly, in the
parent’s home to enhance parenting knowledge and skills, to provide support and listen to issues
affecting their family. They provide information on child development and child health as well as
activities that promote parent/child bonding and attachment. Home visitors also help families access
other community supports. Why does Home Visitation work? • Home visitation provides an opportunity
to work in the family environment, to learn first hand about the conditions of life for the parent and
child and to tailor services to best meet their needs • Home visitation reaches isolated families that are
unable to participate in other services

“The biggest challenges our clients face in accessing services are transportation, geographic distance and
child care. Home visitation addresses all these barriers. We reach the families that other programs
miss.” – Executive Director of a home visitation program

Conducting Home Visits Procedures

1. Scope (audience and applicability) These procedures ensure the safety of any DoE personnel in
conducting home visits and meeting clients and families outside of the school/educational
setting and Learning Services structure. These procedures apply to all DoE personnel conducting
home visits or visiting families on nonschool/educational setting premises. DoE personnel
includes all support staff such as social workers, speech pathologists and school psychologists as
well as principals, teachers, Child and Family Centre staff, Aboriginal Education Workers, Officers
and Early Years Liaison Officers. Whilst the majority of home visits occur in pleasant
circumstances, DoE Grievance and Investigations Unit recommends joint home visits occur
whenever practical due to the possibility that allegations can be made about DoE personnel
whilst on a home visit alone. If an employee is unsure whether a home visit should take place
the matter should be discussed with the Principal, senior manager or the relevant senior
manager in the Learning Services.
2. Purpose In order to achieve change and improved learning outcomes for students, it is often
necessary to work with or meet family members outside the school environment. This is
particularly the case in the early years where Kindergarten teachers, Launching into Learning
(LiL) teachers or child and family centre personnel visit families to build relationships, break
down barriers, support learning or share information. For school age children, meetings
between families and Department of Education (DoE) personnel usually occur on school
premises; however, there are instances when conducting this work and attempting to
 understand the complexities within some families, that DoE staff conduct home visits.
Circumstances which may also necessitate a home visit include occasions whereby a parent or
carer cannot be contacted, they are not allowed on school property, the parent or carer is
incapacitated or the young person is refusing to attend the school. Other benefits to conducting
home visits include, but are not limited to:
• Holistic assessment
• Rapport building
• Parenting and whole family work
• Addressing absenteeism as required under the Education Act 1994
• Observations
• Uniform assistance
• Equitable access to support
• Identify opportunities for referral to other services
While all home and non-school location visits should be respectful and mutually beneficial, the
safety of DoE personnel is a priority in all interventions where personnel enter private
residences or meet with families on non-school premises.

3. Procedure Details
• Assess available facts in determining whether a home visit will take place and if it is necessary.
If unsure, discuss with the principal or senior manager.
o If possible, an initial meeting with a client or parent should be held in the office or in a neutral
community space such as a community health centre, café or school/educational setting.
o Telephone contact can also be used as initial contact with the parent or carer
o If transport is the reason parents can’t attend a meeting at the school or other DoE facility,
consider arranging transport for them.
• The home visit should be planned with the parent or carer

• Depending on the circumstances of the visit, some useful questions to ask during the
discussion may include: Are you expecting any visitors? Do you have any pets/dogs? Who will be
home when you visit? Other information you deem suitable to visit (i.e. clarifying questions of
the house/property, is it an isolated property, can the house be seen from the road etc.)

o In the event contact cannot be made with the family prior to a home visit (i.e. following up on
non attendance), document these attempts and proceed with the home visit with an additional
DoE employee, service provider, or Police.

o In the event contact cannot be made with the family prior to a home visit (i.e. following up on
non attendance), document these attempts and proceed with the home visit with an additional
DoE employee, service provider, or Police.

o Letters can also be sent to parents/carers to inform them of upcoming home visits.

• Check all relevant files and obtain background information. Consult in a confidential and
nonjudgemental way with colleagues who have had previous contact with the family

Be aware of relevant cultural background information and cultural sensitivities i.e. eye contact,
shaking hands, touching babies etc.

• Prepare a management plan that includes a risk assessment prior to conducting the visit. This
plan should be signed by the principal or senior management and a copy filed.

• School or Department of Education identification must be worn.

• A mobile phone must be taken and kept switched on. Store all relevant emergency contact
numbers in the phone – police, principal or senior manager, school, child protection, road side
assistance. o Be aware of limitations of mobile phone reception. • Home visits should be
 conducted during work hours. When leaving the school/education setting or workplace, the
principal, a colleague or front office staff should be informed of the destination of the home visit
(specific address and name of the family) and the estimated time of return. Let this person know
when you have returned.

• This person should make phone contact 30 minutes after an expected return.

• If home visits are conducted during school holidays or after school hours ensure other
appropriate personnel (i.e. a colleague or Learning Services personnel) are informed of the
home visit.

• If there is a potential risk to employee safety, a home visit should not be conducted

• In the event of a threat or serious assault on an employee, the principal or senior manager and the
General Manager of the Learning Services must be notified. Work with the client and family must cease
immediately.

o Principals and senior managers should ensure the employee receives appropriate support in the form
of professional supervision, debriefing or counselling in this instance.

o If there is any consideration the young person in the home is at risk child protection must be
contacted.

• When visiting a home, it is important that personnel remain only in the general living area of the
house (kitchen, hall, loung

4. Roles and Responsibilities

Secretary and Deputy Secretaries –

• Must ensure that the relevant Acts are adhered to
• Must ensure that schools are provided with appropriate guidance through the provision of
relevant procedures and guidelines
General Managers-
• Must ensure that principals are familiar with the relevant procedures and guidelines in this
area

Principals, CFC Leaders, Senior Managers –

• Must ensure all staff are fully aware of the procedures and guidelines and how to implement
them
• Must ensure staff are fully supported when undertaking home visits

DoE Personnel –
• Must ensure adherence to the State Public Service code of conduct (link:
http://www.ossc.tas.gov.au/cd/05-2009.pdf) and other relevant professional codes of ethics
• Must ensure familiarity with the procedures and guidelines in relation to home visits and
visiting families away from departmental premises
• Must obey any lawful direction given by their supervisor or any other person having authority
to give that direction.

5. Risk Management
 Prior to conducting any home visit, a management plan that includes a risk assessment must be
prepared and approved by the principal or senior management and a copy filed. A Risk
Management Template is available.

Home visit safety checklist

No Yes Do you feel comfortable making a home visit? No Yes 
If no, have you spoken with your principal or senior manager? Have you read the file history
and obtained background and or relevant information from relevant staff? No Yes  No Yes
Has the risk assessment and management plan been completed?
Have you made contact with the family to advise them of the home visit? No Yes  No Yes
Have you accessed a government plated car? No Yes 
Do you have school or Department of Education ID? Is your mobile phone adequately charged
and in working order with relevant phone numbers stored? No Yes
 Have you advised relevant staff members of your home visit and informed them of where you
are going and what time you are due back? No Yes 

Bright Beginnings Home Visits

Purpose:

The purpose of conducting home visits is to establish a relationship with parents/guardians and their children while,
simultaneously, providing important information about the pre-kindergarten program. Home visits are one of the most
effective practices for making connections and communicating with parents, especially ‘hard to reach’ parents. It is
the goal of our program to teach both children and parents/guardians to acquire skills that will lead to success.
Visiting families in their homes shows them that you are genuinely interested in their child and demonstrates your
commitment to building a relationship with them in order to help their child be successful. These visits also allow you
the opportunity to get to know the child in his natural and familiar setting, where he will easily tell you about his
special interests likes and dislikes.

Procedures:

 Call parent/guardian to schedule the home visit (see sample script below). It is usually convenient to
schedule appointments in the same area on the same day
 Update calendar with home visit information
 Write child’s name and school/center name on name tag and ask the family to make sure the child wears it
to school for the first week
 Ask the parent for a quiet area for the teacher assistant to use while working with the child
 Present staggered entry letter and explain the process to the family.
 Present the Sample Reading Log and explain the importance of reading daily. Encourage families to
complete the log and remind them of the 100-books- requirement.
 Present large baggie for change of clothes and remind parents to label all clothing with the child’s name and
to send suitable clothing when the weather changes.
 Take one picture of the entire family and one picture of the child alone. Explain to the parent that the
pictures will be used in the classroom.
 Record exact address information and miles traveled
 Submit completed mileage forms online through Employee Self Service using the budget code provided by
your Literacy Facilitator

Initial telephone conversation:

This is a basic guide for the initial telephone conversation between you and the parent/guardian. Please feel free to
adjust the script as necessary.
T: Hi, my name is (your name) and I will be (child’s name)’s pre-kindergarten teacher at (name of school). As a part
of the Bright Beginnings programs, I will be visiting your home with my teacher assistant, (teacher assistant’s name).
The purpose of the visit is to get to know you and your child and discuss some important information about the
program. The visit should only last about 60 minutes. I am available ____, _____ and ____ between __AM and
__PM. Do any of these days and times work for you?

If you wish to have someone who speaks Spanish contact the parent to schedule the home visit, please email
prek@cms.k12.nc.us with a list of parents, phone numbers, and the times you have available. The Bilingual
Assistant will ask the parents to have someone who speaks English present at the home visit and will email you back
confirmation that the visit has been scheduled.

What to Bring:

 Name tag for child

 Materials for working with the child: books, a few manipulatives, simple puzzles, paper and markers/crayons
for the child to draw at least two pictures (leave one with the family and take one that is signed and dated to
post in the classroom), photos of the classroom and school
 Staggered entry letter
 Sample Reading Log
 Camera
 Mileage form

Safety Procedures:

Our commitment to home visits is matched by our commitment to safe home visit conditions for all employees. We
recognize that many of these families/guardians live in distressed communities and have worked with the law
enforcement department to create a list of safety guidelines.

 Always conduct home visits in pairs.

 Always carry a cell phone.
 Leave information in the school office with the child’s name, address, date and time of all home visits.
 Be aware of your surroundings as you approach the residence or location. If your gut tells you to be concerned, trust
your gut.
 If an area doesn't feel safe to you, call the local police department for a police escort. You can call 311 and explain
that you are conducting a home visit and would like a police escort. Just be prepared that they may not have a car
available to assist at that time due to emergency calls that take priority.
 Consider conducting a drive by of the area you plan to visit a head of time to get a feel for the area. This way you
might be able to schedule a home visit with a police escort a head of time.
 If you have an emergency and need the police always call 911.
 The CMS Police Department has a 24 hour dispatcher that can be reached at 980-343-6030. Call 911 first if it is an
emergency. We do have a very limited number of CMS officers that could assist you, but would need advance
notice. They have a very large area to patrol, so we can't guarantee they would be in your area at the time of the visit.

Notes:

 Remember that the parents/guardians are probably more uncomfortable than you are. They are opening
their homes to you and may fear being judged or ‘evaluated.’ Please try to reassure them that you are just
there to get to know them and share some important information with them.

 During the initial telephone conversation, you may inquire about pets and politely ask the parent/guardian to
put any pets in a separate room or outside.

 If you are unable to contact the parents using the phone numbers (home/work), including emergency phone
numbers, they provided on their application, you may either:

1. Write a letter and mail it to the home address. In the letter you should include the reason you are trying to
get in touch with them (simply that their child is in your Pre-K classroom and you are trying to schedule a
home visit). You should provide your contact information and let them know that you need to hear from
them within 2-3 days from the date you are mailing the letter.

2. Leave a note taped to their front door with the same information as above.

Because Bright Beginnings is a Title I program and children are seated according to educational need, we
must make every effort to reach parents before dropping children from the roster and assigning new
children.

Enjoy this opportunity to get to know your students and their families!
 RELATED LITERAURE

Contributing Factors of Absenteeism

Posted: Tue, 01/28/2014 - 9:21am Updated: Wed, 05/31/2017 - 9:27am

Predictors of absenteeism and truancy can be found inside and outside of the school
environment. Bimler and Kirkland (2001) indicated that there may be as many as 10
different 'hot spots' that can predict student absenteeism and truancy. These 'hot spots'
broadly include: school conditions; home-based behavioral issues; psychological issues;
family background; school-based behavioral issues; peer issues; as well as lack of
motivation or interest in school. These issues align with more recent reviews of literature
regarding student absenteeism, truancy, and school avoidance behavior (Kearney, 2008).
As Kearney's (2008) comprehensive review of literature related to school absenteeism and
school refusal behavior suggests absenteeism can be linked to physical conditions,
psychiatric conditions, classification and proximal variables, contextual risk factors, as well
as cross-cultural variables. Each of these variables has been shown to influence student
attendance.
The literature related to predictors of chronic absenteeism and truancy has been grouped
into four broad categories in this review. First, research regarding student predictors of
attendance is presented. This discussion reflects the most developed research base and
broadly explains the individual characteristics that influence student attendance. Next,
parent and family predictors are reviewed. These factors have received increased attention
in recent years but continue to be an area where more research is needed. School-level
predictors are discussed next. The discussion of school-level factors includes structural,
cultural, and social conditions in the school. These factors also relate to the physical
condition of the school. Finally, community predictors are discussed. Community-level
predictors have only recently received attention from researchers and are thus an area of
research that requires further elaboration.
Individual Predictors of Student Attendance
Researchers have focused extensively on student-level predictors related to chronic
absenteeism and truancy. Predictors at the student-level relate to the student's physical and
mental health; perceptions of school; as well as the availability of family and community
resources. These predictors offer the most direct link to student attendance whereas other
predictors that will be discussed are often mediated. Student predictors broadly include the
student's physical and mental health as well as their perceptions of school.

Research on dropping out of school has focused on characteristics of the individual

or institution that correlate with the dropout decision. Many of these characteristics
are nonmanipulable, and all are measured at one point in time, late in the youngster’s
school career. This paper describes two models for understanding dropping out as a
developmental process that may begin in the earliest grades. The frustration-self-
esteem model has been used for years in the study of juvenile delinquency; it
identifies school failure as the starting point in a cycle that may culminate in the
student’s rejecting, or being rejected by, the school. The participation-identification
model focuses on students’ “involvement in schooling,” with both behavioral and
emotional components. According to this formulation, the likelihood that a youngster
will successfully complete 12 years of schooling is maximized if he or she maintains
multiple, expanding forms of participation in school-relevant activities. The failure of a
youngster to participate in school and class activities, or to develop a sense of
identification with school, may have significant deleterious consequences. The ability
to manipulate modes of participation poses promising avenues for further research
as well as for intervention efforts.

School administrators, teachers, parents, and juvenile justice officials have long
been concerned about the problem of truancy in schools, especially since
truancy has been linked to problem behaviors, including academic failure, school
dropout, and delinquency. Thus, the prevention of truancy and programs
designed to break the cycle of chronic absenteeism are assumed to have
beneficial effects far into the future. Here, multiple methods are used to
determine the process and effects of an innovative program designed to deal
with chronic absenteeism. Qualitative and quantitative data are presented to
show how the program operates and its effects on attendance following the
intervention. David Mueller &Cody Stoddard

Pages 199-219 | Published online: 16 Nov 2009

Joyce L. Epstein &Steven B. Sheldon

Pages 308-318 | Published online: 01 Apr 2010

Reducing student absenteeism and truancy is a goal of many schools across the
country. Surprisingly little research focuses on what schools can do to increase
and sustain students' daily attendance, and even fewer studies explore how
family-school-community partnerships may contribute to this goal. In this
longitudinal study, data were collected on schools' rates of daily student
attendance and chronic absenteeism and on specific partnership practices that
were implemented to help increase or sustain student attendance. Results
indicate that several family-school-community partnership practices predict an
increase in daily attendance, a decrease in chronic absenteeism, or both. The
data suggest that schools may be able to increase student attendance in
elementary school by implementing specific family and community involvement
activities.