[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6109042,"mediaKeyId","2764935-ae9666340ea1bc085b51f2d224c264ef","parentId",2764935,"title","OSPI, courts and ESDs outline strategies to curb chronic absenteeism in Washington schools","audioSeconds",4232,"startMs",103000,"endMs",4335000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764935-ae9666340ea1bc085b51f2d224c264ef&start=103&end=4335","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764935-ae9666340ea1bc085b51f2d224c264ef/thumbnail_103000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6109042/Washington/OSPI-courts-and-ESDs-outline-strategies-to-curb-chronic-absenteeism-in-Washington-schools","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6109042-6d267d3662adda1725dadb2f3667953f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770588876&Signature=RBh-55N2o6IV4OHRPaMeZXkeI3g5~8Id81h4om3X4G2vrId0HU-ubT5hN6M0JqqXXQXcx1kaYZUTF3ghSDlHMooDSU47~KmHArNnr70B2581pTaUGpYNSA0jZ~Yq1EQUMM7inWkqXOkT41o0T7dePnn8UhJZrdgNaWUuztGbqxrc3XqB2S0Ibll6T08NGtnaLRoEnY1EV1pFpgp9qyusLrTE-QuuKHbqYLYAKV6THnmBIu8yCYaDjKOsIqU7cExm9D9AddmVAwMizwgzFXgaJf0KGy~BTtmOHOrzHC5eKLNUWk2apKUq50DBLZ8HkPACD9IsVwCcCZzs3ZQMYl7i3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","OSPI Assistant Director of Attendance and Engagement Chrissy Johnson and OSPI Senior Policy Analyst Mitra Tranisky told the Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee that attendance is foundational to learning and that early, supportive interventions should precede court involvement.

OSPI described chronic absence — missing 10% or more of school days, about 18 days in a typical year, counting excused and unexcused absences — as an “early warning indicator” and said Washington had about 73% of students attending 90% or more of days last year (the inverse implies roughly 27% of students were chronically absent). The office also said truancy, defined in the state by thresholds of seven unexcused absences in a month and 15 in a year, triggers required district interventions and — only after those interventions — a petition to juvenile court.

OSPI outlined recent work to build capacity in districts and ESDs, including an ESSER attendance and reengagement project that worked with more than 80 districts, every Educational Service District (ESD), and several state schools. The effort funded regional coordinators, coaching on MTSS (multi‑tiered systems of support) practices and one‑to‑one outreach for students who had disengaged. “Attendance is foundational to student learning,” Johnson said, adding that relationships with trusted adults and a safe, supportive school environment are critical for keeping students in class.

The agency summarized findings from its Reenvisioning Truancy Project, a 2023 effort with the American Institutes for Research and an advisory group that included juvenile court administrators and community partners. OSPI said listening sessions and interviews showed common underlying causes of absences: mental‑health challenges, bullying, sleep hygiene, family responsibilities (including caring for siblings or contributing income), medical issues and pandemic‑era disengagement. OSPI also said some community engagement boards succeed when they focus on root causes in a culturally sensitive way, but can be counterproductive when implemented punitively.

Claire Pearson Walker, manager of Attendance & Reengagement at ESD 112, described a regional model that emphasizes early intervention and direct family support. In Clark County during the 2022–23 school year ESD 112 reported 428 students with open truancy petitions; 215 families attended a collaborative truancy workshop and 362 students were referred for direct services, while only 26 cases required court intervention. “Out of the 428 petitions filed, 362 were referred for direct services,” Pearson Walker said, noting the program’s emphasis on diversion and reengagement.

Juvenile court commissioners who handle truancy calendars told the committee the court system often sees truancy as the first step on a longer path that can lead to delinquency, dependency and other matters. Ian Johnson, Commissioner, Snohomish County Superior Court, said RCW 28A, 225.09 authorizes a court’s response in truancy cases but leaves limited options for holding parents accountable beyond a sanction of about $25 per day; courts typically lack mechanisms to collect or enforce such judgments. “When it gets to us…and the school district is kind of out of ideas as far as interventions, we are limited in terms of what we can do in terms of holding parents accountable,” Johnson said.

Speakers emphasized the need for timely, trust‑building communication from districts to families; the use of automated daily absence notifications (robocalls, texts, emails); and stronger capacity for early intervention before cases escalate. OSPI said it is producing community engagement board guidance and training, maintaining an advisory work group, and disseminating evidence‑based communication practices and MTSS supports through regional networks, newsletters and an open community of practice.

Jeremy Chiappetta, a senior adviser to the Rhode Island governor, described an outside‑in, communitywide model used in Rhode Island: a public, nightly‑updated attendance dashboard, sustained community messaging from mayors, business and faith leaders, targeted social‑media campaigns and events celebrating improved schools. “Students who are chronically absent dramatically underperform on assessments that matter,” Chiappetta told the committee, arguing that public data and broad community engagement changed local conversation and priorities in Rhode Island.

Committee members and presenters repeatedly flagged funding and staffing as constraining factors: schools and ESDs cited limited capacity for early, individualized outreach, while ESDs and courts noted that many local staff assigned to truancy work are part‑time and lack legal training. Presenters urged continued investment in regional coordinators, community‑focused interventions, and training for districts implementing community engagement boards.

No formal votes were taken during the work session. OSPI, ESDs and juvenile court representatives said they would continue to provide information to the legislature and the committee, and OSPI said its reenvisioning advisory group will continue meeting to refine implementation options.

Context and next steps: OSPI has committed to producing guidance and training on community engagement boards, continuing its regional networks and sharing evaluation results from the ESSER attendance and reengagement project. ESD 112 asked the legislature to consider ongoing funding to sustain direct‑service and coaching work begun with ESSER funds; juvenile court officials urged clearer coordination among schools, courts and family services to address parent‑level barriers to attendance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education 8:00 AM March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","OSPI Assistant Director of Attendance and Engagement Chrissy Johnson and OSPI Senior Policy Analyst Mitra Tranisky told the Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee that attendance is foundational to learning and that early, supportive interventions should precede court involvement.","taxTitle","Early Learning & K-12 Education, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20501,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6109038,"Committee hears calls for funding, pilot testing as OSPI prepares to assume institutional‑education oversight",4315,4315000,-1,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764935-ae9666340ea1bc085b51f2d224c264ef&start=4315&end=0","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764935-ae9666340ea1bc085b51f2d224c264ef/thumbnail_4315000.jpg","/articles/6109038/Washington/Committee-hears-calls-for-funding-pilot-testing-as-OSPI-prepares-to-assume-institutionaleducation-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6109038-ec3c66134502485c6a364734a73f4935/orig.mp4?Expires=1770588876&Signature=WiEjWpAd3mLsrDf9oTiGxEcCqfN0mAH4IDkWe33~l6ckkkN6~31wac-hbBKhWp-CtEQMuqdGOv6kt1vpWnAJSe-eN7PRq0t-d5pWtBNxWsp0WZZUxF5b6s-EFb-yCWcWvtx6RXZmBCdTz0dldoKtjpdUQR8~8QJaHwqOvPEQHxUBKIBrF8iw7RhwKOuoV65zQNX~JbdoEJ6EeXFlP39Gcjk6I8pbmAq9ggx4nLoHuJ-PtGAyvmJg8uCOf9Cb85uqtN6pxq4vlvqovvHibIK9qcfVnfbqgmCM3bb7FiKdp~iBSbmc2uIRSKIt8uOieAb~~ZHDel6aUZGdQTx47KR-3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alex Fair Fortune, staff to the committee, and Misha Truniska of OSPI introduced the committee to the scope and recent legislation regarding institutional education — the state‑mandated provision of basic education to school‑age students housed in juvenile detention centers, long‑term juvenile institutions and community facilities.

Speakers said multiple agencies operate facilities that house eligible students (counties operate juvenile detention centers; DCYF operates long‑term juvenile institutions and community facilities; DSHS and DOC operate residential habilitation centers and adult prisons that can include small numbers of eligible students), while school districts and Educational Service Districts (ESDs) provide the educational delivery. Alex Fair Fortune summarized a legislative timeline of recent work: task force reports and advisory‑group recommendations in 2020–22 and subsequent bills directing OSPI to develop a plan and timeline for assuming oversight responsibilities for certain youth beginning Sept. 1, 2027.

OSPI staff told the committee that these students are disproportionately male, frequently eligible for special education services and often face homelessness or other instability. OSPI presented enrollment snapshots for school year 2023–24 showing hundreds of duplicated entries and exits across juvenile detention centers (examples included 21 juvenile detention centers statewide and roughly 606 students counted in education enrollment across covered facilities for that school year). Misha Truniska said: “Oftentimes, they’re coming in with IEPs…IEPs that are out of date, maybe IEPs that are incomplete.”

Educational Service District representatives — Linda McKay (Deputy Superintendent, North Central ESD 171) and Aaron Lovell (Superintendent, Olympic ESD 114) — described two ESD roles that currently support justice‑involved youth: (1) educational advocates who help students transition back to their home schools and post‑secondary pathways, and (2) direct basic‑education instruction in juvenile detention centers (four ESDs provide that instruction in nine JDCs across the state). Lovell described intake procedures in a detention setting: each arriving student meets school staff for enrollment, an academic assessment and orientation to the educational program; staff seek transcripts, IEPs and coursework from the home school to preserve continuity.

ESD speakers highlighted a long‑standing funding gap and operational constraints. The existing funding model for institutional education (legislative structure established in the 1990s, as described to the committee) typically funds a single certificated teacher and basic supplies at many county juvenile detention centers and does not provide for classified staff, administrators or broader programming. Lovell said that buying scalable online curriculum seats is often infeasible for ESDs because vendors sell in large minimum lots, and that ESD programs lack the budget flexibility of larger districts. ESDs also noted uneven access for rural students and limited ability, in some cases, to grant course credits without district agreements.

Speakers told the committee that institutional stays vary widely in length: many JDC stays are brief (five days or fewer) but a growing share of stays exceed 90 days, raising different educational needs. Presenters said short stays require nimble intake and trust‑building by teachers, while longer stays require sustained instructional capacity and coordination to avoid repeated restart of coursework when students move among facilities.

ESDs recommended time for pilot testing and a phased transition if oversight or delivery changes are enacted. They said any model change should include adequate state funding for certificated and classified staff, local coordination for course credits and mechanisms to ensure continuity of special‑education services. Linda McKay urged a collaborative approach that preserves local partnerships and addresses staffing, data sharing and credit‑granting procedures across districts, ESDs and facilities.

OSPI noted ongoing work on recommended practices, on‑site visits, consultations with juvenile courts and interim reports required by recent legislation; the office said it will produce additional interim reports (OSPI has published a December 2024 interim report and will produce further reports through 2027) and continue stakeholder engagement as it develops a timeline for assuming additional responsibilities.

Committee members and presenters agreed the subject requires further study and more time for detailed planning. No formal legislative action was taken during the session; ESDs and OSPI asked the committee for additional hearings, a possible pilot period for any new models, and explicit funding to support comprehensive instructional and transition services.","Alex Fair Fortune, staff to the committee, and OSPI staff briefed legislators on institutional education — the state‑mandated delivery of basic education to youth in juvenile detention centers, long‑term juvenile institutions and community facilities — and the operational, data and funding challenges that will accompany any oversight change.","actionData","errors"]

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OSPI, courts and ESDs outline strategies to curb chronic absenteeism in Washington schools

Committee hears calls for funding, pilot testing as OSPI prepares to assume institutional‑education oversight