Trust Model: A Relationship-Based Approach to Addressing Student Absences
What is happening with our students?
Students who miss just three or more days of school each month can be set back 1 to 2 years academically. By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism is a leading predictor that a student will drop out of high school. Impact of this is poor literacy, which has long term effects on the student, their family, and our community.
200 students missed over 25 days per year
Chronic absenteeism is 12% - 17% of student body, over the last 3 years
Those with high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores are 4x more likely to be absent
A "chronically absent" student is defined as a student who misses 10% or more school days with or without a valid excuse. A "chronically truant" student is defined as a student who misses 5% or more school days without a valid excuse.
What is the CHW Program?
The program was started by funding and guidance from SIU Medical based on a similar program that they started in Springfield, Illinois. CHW reaches out to designated families with truant students and builds relationships with the families. These families have a variety of issues including mental health, drug abuse, legal issues, substance abuse, and other health issues that have a negative effect on the family. Many students do not know how to cope, how to assist a parent, or who to reach out to for assistance or guidance. QPS-CHW assists these kids and their families, on a confidential basis, to help chronically absent students return to school.
Community Health Workers
Connect families to Community Services such as:
Physical Health
Mental Health
Food Pantries
Transpotation
Housing
Department of Human Services
Provide:
General assistance with Social Services (Food, hygiene, clothing)
Support through family advocacy
Support with alternative education avenues when needed
Do Community Health Workers make a difference?
We are proud of the success we have seen in just three short years since the program began in our community. There has been a 36% decrease in absenteeism per student, reading skills improvement in 100% of the student and 40% of the students received grades of C or better, compared to 27% the prior year. This improvement has a dramatic impact on the lives of these students, their families, and the community they choose to live in - Our Community.
Fourteen students who participated in the program for a full year recouped 507 days of school. On average, each student gained seven weeks of learning time.
How can I help?
We must depend on donations to help support the positive impact CHW has on the kids, their families, and out community. Please consider making a donation to the program.
Mail donations to:
Mike Troup, QPS - CHW Assist. Program, 520 North 30th St., Ste. 20 Quincy, IL 62301
Learn more at www.qps.org/trust