Attendance Incentives vs Goal Reaching Incentives

Hmmm… Incentivizing parents to increase school attendance? Don’t kill me, but I like the idea. 😬 But… It’s missing something. I got it! Let’s sweeten the pot by also incentivizing parents with a “goal-reaching incentive” that’s received when students reach their testing growth targets during the actual year! Now, that’s the sweet spot! Just hear me out.

OK, so remember when the state released our schools' letter grades in November 2023? Guess what attendance was a grading indicator, and some argue that if that percentage were higher, the letter grade would have been higher as well. I won’t argue with that because it’s basic math.

However, what parents should really be paying attention to is (lean closely…) The school's “growth and achievement overview“.  (sips tea 🍵)

Why should parents care about “growth and achievement overview” and “current placement distribution”? Simple. It tells us how our teachers and kids have been performing SINCE the scores were released in November. (sips something stronger 🍷)

Confused, yet? Lol, don’t be. (See sample visuals below.)

Example: Follow me...

Step 1 Schools take the beginning-of-year test when kids return from summer break                               !!💥Sweet spot alert!!💥 The schools receives results (rubs hands like Birdman)

Step 2 Schools take the middle-of-year test when they return from winter break. !!💥Sweet spot alert!!💥 The schools receives results (rubs hands like Birdman)

Need "sweet spot" defined? Bet! Well, this tells parents REAL-TIME results of just how much our kids/schools have grown since last year‘s ACAP test results. It also shows parents if their child is currently 1-3 grade levels below. Yeah... you read that right. 

3 or more grade levels below (RED& BLACK)

2 grade levels below (RED)

1 grade level below (YELLOW)

Early on grade level (GREEN)

Mid or above grade level (GREEN & BLACK)

These results are called "Current Placement Distribution". This is the data our schools are receiving NOW! Right now! Sadly, a significant amount of students are STILL below grade level since taking ACAP last Spring.

Middle-of-the-year results can come from either iReady, M-Class, or NWEA Map. It just depends on what testing program your school is using to monitor your child's path to proficiency.

Some would argue that if the "below grade level" gaps at the beginning-of-year testing had not gotten SMALLER by the middle-of-the-year testing, we might need to shift our attention and ask what's happening in day-to-day classroom instruction, and how can I support my learner. Parents should be seeing fewer and fewer students in the red category after testing. (Sips something much stronger 🍸🍹🍸🍹)

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen, the 💥sweet spot💥

This is the spot where we incentivize parents when their little ones meet their learning goals that are given to them at the beginning of the year AND the middle of the year. Never heard of these goals?

No problem! Reach out to your child's teacher today and ask for them. Go to administration if necessary. This is a great conversation starter to get our kids back on the path to proficiency, which is supposed to be the reason behind the parent incentive program anyway. Right?

I agree that our kids' success is a priority, “by any means necessary”

By adding a “Goal Reaching Incentive” to the “Attendance Incentive“, we incentivize all inner-city parents. I see this as an opportunity to unite parents if we adjust our perspectives.  As always, be encouraged as you continue to unapologetically advocate for OUR children.