2018 - 2019 Polk Vision Annual Report PV Annual Report 2018_WEB | Page 12

11

Attendance LEAD Team

ABOVE : Connie Loutzenhiser , Principal at Eagle Lake Elementary , celebrates her attendance heroes by regularly posting progress
reports on her Challenge 5™ Campaign bulletin board .
The Polk County School District ’ s Strategic Plan identifies reducing student absenteeism as key to improving student achievement . The Attendance Team is committed to finding a systemic solution to this widespread problem facing students of all ages and grades . Starting as early as pre-school and kindergarten , chronic absence can leave third graders unable to read proficiently , sixth graders struggling with coursework and high school students off track for graduation .
Inspired by the success achieved by the Grand Rapids , Michigan School District ( Believe 2 Become , 2016 ), the Polk Vision Attendance Team together with Polk County Public Schools adopted a multi-pronged tactical plan that entered its firstyear pilot phase in Fall 2017 . Five area elementary schools began integrating elements of an actionable messaging campaign , Strive For Less Than 5™ Days Absent , intended to activate parents as partners and engage the local community as stakeholders .
ABOVE : Support at the District and School leadership level is at the core of any pilot program . Polk County School Board Members officially launched the Challenge 5™ pilot program on November 14 , 2017 .
CHALLENGE 5 TM PILOT SCHOOLS
CODE Academy
Eagle Lake Elementary
Garner Elementary
Griffin Elementary
Palmetto Elementary
Permission to use Challenge 5 TM , Strive for Less Than Five TM Days Absent Campaign granted on behalf of Believe 2 Become ( B2B ,) an initiative of the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation .
The launch of the campaign was scheduled to coincide with the first week of September in recognition of Attendance Awareness Month . Unfortunately , the campaign was sidetracked with countywide preparations for Hurricane Irma . The storm severely impacted Polk County and the Challenge 5™ campaign faltered due to the direct and residual effects of the hurricane . Despite the staggered start , the video featuring Supt . Byrd and Sheriff Judd was central to the messaging campaign and , once aired , provided much needed momentum to the movement .