Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

2019-20 School Year Attendance

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by

James A. Bacon
in

by John Butcher

It’s Spring! The Narcissi are standing tall and promising blossoms. The Croci are in flower. Data are sprouting in last year’s Superintendent’s Annual Report.

Table 8, “Number of Days Taught, ADA, ADM,” gives us an early measure of the impact of the pandemic-related shutdowns on school attendance.

The City of Richmond’s end-of-year count of days taught was 120, just two-thirds of the statutory minimum. Richmond’s total was one day more than those of Hampton and Newport News, three days more than Norfolk, and 6.6 days short of the division average.

The highest in the state was Buckingham, 139 days; the lowest was Galax, 112.

Table 8 also shows end-of-year attendance data for the elementary and secondary schools. Richmond and all the peer cities managed to exacerbate the impact of the pandemic.

The division with the highest average attendance was Falls Church with 96.4%. Lowest was Petersburg, 91.3%.

These data do not give us a picture of the number of days or attendance of any on-line schooling.

Of course, these numbers are but a warmup for the 2020-2021 shutdowns.

It appears that this year’s SOL testing will be voluntary so we’ll have to wait until the summer of 2022 for a measure of the impact of all this.

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7 responses to “2019-20 School Year Attendance”

  1. CJBova Avatar
    CJBova

    Mathews was right in line at 121 days. ADM started at 990. attendance was 937 on table 08; table 01, end of year membership starts in Sept at 1000, ends year at 981. this year’s budget is based on 875. Budget numbers from Table 15 aren’t up yet, but I’m willing to guess they didn’t go down.

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    interesting reading:

    “Should Your School Be Fully Open? Here’s What the C.D.C. Says
    March 2, 2021

    Only 4 percent of the nation’s schoolchildren live in counties where coronavirus transmission is low enough for full-time in-person learning without additional restrictions, according to the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an analysis of the agency’s latest figures.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/02/us/covid-schools-reopen-cdc.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    So, here is a question. What is the difference between, in a normal school year, holding back some kids to repeat a grade versus essentially holding many kids back a grade – in terms of long term “damage”.

    Seems like if it does not “harm” a kid the rest of his life to hold him back a year in normal times why is it such a devastating thing due to a pandemic?

    1. Matt Hurt Avatar
      Matt Hurt

      As far as damage in the real world, I’m not sure. We all know of examples of individuals who have lead successful lives without the benefit of a high school diploma. However, I suspect that these folks are the exception rather than the rule.

      Many of our students stay in school because of compulsory attendance. As soon as these students turn 18, they quit school. Holding students back a year means that they will probably turn 18 (at which point they’re no longer compelled to attend school) prior to meeting their graduation requirements. For these students in particular, holding them back significantly increases their likelihood of becoming a high school drop out.

      With the right supports, instruction, and expectations kids can be passed on, and over time catch up to the point where they can meet their graduation requirements before they turn 18.

  4. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    Of course it hurts to hold a child back a year if that child has already been held back before. I once had a student going through eligibility for special education who was 14 in grade 5. Never had been referred before. He was small for his age and the teachers felt holding him back would do no harm. Unfortunately, this is a norm.

    The USED sent out guidelines to state sups for assessment this year a couple of weeks ago. The waiver should be available on the DOE website if not now, soon.

    As far as last year, most schools finish the core curriculum by the end of March and all of April and May is a review of the same to make sure kids pass the SOL assessment. The question is how much of the curriculum scope was covered prior to March 13. I would say most.

    I hated going in classrooms after the spring break to see nothing but review. As a kid, I would have played sick and stayed at home to enjoy the Spring. Or, had my mother tell the teacher I was allergic to xerox copied paper handouts.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      The question is – is it lifetime harm than can never be regained?

      1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
        Kathleen Smith

        If course it is for some students. At 18 they are so done with school. We might have to rethink 11 not 12 grades. My advice— don’t consider it. Let the educators figure out how to catch up. It can be done.

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