Mitchell School District targets attendance as area for improvement

Oct. 19—MITCHELL — The Mitchell School District is ahead of the curve when it comes to attendance rates according to the latest district report card from the state, but those numbers can always be improved, say school officials.

The latest figures from the South Dakota Department of Education show the Mitchell School District reporting an 88% attendance rate in the latest report. That is two points higher than the 86% statewide average among schools in the survey, and Joe Childs, superintendent for the Mitchell School District, said the goal is to keep that number trending upward.

"Although we're encouraged to see that we're again performing above the state average, we are absolutely committed to continuous improvement, regardless of our current performance levels," Childs said. "To enhance current standing, the Mitchell team is focusing on several key strategies."

Childs said those strategies include targeted interventions for students who may be at risk of absenteeism, fostering a culture of attendance awareness and collaborating closely with parents and the community to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance.

Educators have long maintained that high attendance rates correlate to better student performance. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance,

according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Seeing Mitchell score above the state average is a good thing, Childs said, but it's also a chance to recommit to improving that figure.

"I think this is an opportunity for our entire community to get behind the importance of improving regular school attendance. We know that regular attendance not only allows students to develop good study habits, but it also helps establish a sense of accountability for their learning," Childs said. "Students that attend school keep up with their assignments and have the opportunity to participate in class activities and discussions."

The district also scored above the state average in the chronic absenteeism category with an 18% rating. That's three points better than the state average of 21%. Chronic absenteeism is a measure of students who miss at least 10% of the school year.

Some students will almost certainly miss a day or two of school at some point, and any absence can have a small impact, but chronic absenteeism figures should be driven as low as possible, Childs said.

The district will take a multi-faceted approach to pushing that number down, he said, including close tracking of attendance and working with parents to reduce absenteeism.

"The district will focus on plans for addressing the 18% of students that fit into the category of chronically absent," Childs said. "Our plans include early intervention protocols to identify and support students with attendance issues, implementing attendance tracking systems and collaborating with parents and guardians to identify and address any barriers to regular school attendance."

The district is also exploring initiatives such as mentorship programs and incentives to encourage consistent attendance, Childs said.

Statewide, there are some positive signs with absenteeism trends. Joe Graves, secretary of education for the state of South Dakota and former Mitchell superintendent, said current overall rates are holding steady while noting some improvements. The attendance rate for economically disadvantaged students increased by 4% over the previous report, and the rate for English learners increased by more than 2.5% points in the last year.

"We saw more economically disadvantaged students meeting attendance targets last year," Graves said in a press release. "Students can't master academics if they're not in school, and we're excited to see more students in need being in the classroom more consistently."

The Mitchell School District also performed well in a number of other areas of the report card.

The district performed above state averages for student performance in English Language Arts at 59% to 50% for the state average, in mathematics at 54% to 43% for the state average and in science at 46% to 43% for the state average.

In student progress, the district posted scores of 60% in English Language Arts compared to 53% for the state average and 56% in mathematics compared to 48% for the state average.

In terms of high school completion, the district rates a 96% in high school completion, which is above the 91% state average. College and career readiness rated at 67% for the Mitchell district compared to 54% for the state.

The district score of English learners being on track to becoming proficient in the language within five years came in at 26%, below the 32% state average. The previous year saw the district at just above the state average at 33% to 32%, while other statistic categories also shifted within a few percentage points from the previous year but remained ahead of the state average.

Childs said the district goal is to constantly strive for score as close to perfect as possible.

"While most of the performance metrics have maintained stability from year to year, any minor fluctuations are opportunities for us to explore solutions for growth. A slight change in mathematics performance, for example, underscores the importance of continuous improvement efforts, and there may be strategies we can employ to further enhance proficiency," Childs said.

The annual district report card provides a useful trove of measurable statistics, Childs said, and district leaders pore over the document each year looking for areas to improve, which leads to more discussion on how exactly to improve them.

Childs said the district analyzes a wide range of data beyond the front-and-center statistics, as well.

"For example, we look at subgroup performance to ensure equity, track graduation rates and delve into specific subject areas to identify strengths and areas for growth," Childs said. "Overall, this report provides us with valuable insights that guide our ongoing efforts to provide the best educational experience for our Mitchell students."

The full report card for the Mitchell School District, along with individual districts from around the state and the statewide report card, can be found

at the South Dakota Department of Education website.