[Health_Education_Promotion] Fwd: Press release: Relationship Between Health and Student Chronic Absenteeism

[Alissa Leavitt]

Alissa Leavitt, MPH, MCHES
green.alissa at gmail.com
503-358-2331

Sent via iPhone. Please excuse any grammatical errors. 




Begin forwarded message:

> From: Tia Henderson <tia at upstreampublichealth.org>
> Date: October 13, 2014 at 4:47:57 PM PDT
> To: GREENE Kari <kari.greene at state.or.us>,  Isabelle S BARBOUR <isabelle.s.barbour at state.or.us>,  Kasandra Griffin <kasandra at upstreampublichealth.org>, Ann Curry-Stevens <currya at pdx.edu>,  Maureen Hinman <maureen at osbha.org>, Inge Aldersebaes <inge at oeachoice.com>, Andrew Dyke <dyke at econw.com>,  Sheldon Loman <sheldon.loman at gmail.com>,  "CHAUMETON, Nigel R" <nigel.r.chaumeton at state.or.us>, Scott Perry <scott_perry at soesd.k12.or.us>,  Alissa Green <green.alissa at gmail.com>, "Charbonneau, Diana" <charbonneau.d at ghc.org>,  Peggy SAMOLINSKI <peggy.l.samolinski at multco.us>, Katia Riddle <katia at childinst.org>,  Hedy Chang <hedy at attendanceworks.org>, Aimee Craig <Craig at chalkboardproject.org>
> Subject: Press release: Relationship Between Health and Student Chronic Absenteeism
> 
> Hi all,
> Please disseminate our new report among your networks :) Kasandra will send it out to the HKLB list, fyi.
> Thank you!
> Tia
>  
> 
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 
> October 13, 2014
> 
>  
> 
> Contact: Tia Henderson, Research Manager, 503-284-6390
> 
> Kasandra Griffin, Policy Manager Food and School Health, 503-284-6390
> 
>  
> 
> Report Finds Relationship Between Health and Student Chronic Absenteeism
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>  
> 
> Portland, OR – Upstream Public Health, concerned that children’s future success is wavering because children are not in school, released a report on how chronic absenteeism is related to health. Oregon’s students have some of the highest chronic absenteeism rates in the country.  Chronic absenteeism is when a child misses 10% of school days for any reason - just two days a month on average - during the school year. The topic emerged recently as a new education priority critical to attaining Oregon’s graduation goals.
> 
>  
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> The report looks “upstream” at factors in communities, at home, and at schools that lead to chronic absenteeism. The report reviews data and research on student absences – finding that unexpected factors such as unstable housing, fear of bullying, and punitive school discipline policies, as well as health conditions such as hunger, dental pain, respiratory illness, and depression contribute to absenteeism.  The report puts forward policy recommendations that begin with schools using a common definition of chronic absenteeism. It also recommends that chronic absence data be used as one factor in allocating and coordinating social service delivery to schools. “We need that village - when educators work with social services and health professionals they can get the resources that our most vulnerable kids need to be healthy and engaged in school,” suggests Dr. Tia Henderson, Research Manager at Upstream Public Health and lead author of the report. Hedy Chang, the Director of Attendance Works agrees with a collaborative approach. “Improving attendance is not just up to schools.  Across the country, we see the most gains occurring when educators and community partners join forces to examine absence data in real time in order to leverage shared resources to take action.”
> 
>  
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> This report goes beyond the problem to identifying solutions. It gives case study examples of communities working to address chronic absenteeism locally and beyond Oregon. “Chronic absence is a corrosive and debilitating problem in Oregon, one that threatens our most vulnerable population of children and demands immediate action," states Katia Riddle, Senior Communications and Policy Associate at the Children’s Institute. "The Children's Institute applauds Upstream Public Health for issuing this important report and in so doing raising awareness around chronic absence and helping the state of Oregon to understand it thoroughly.”
> 
>   
> 
> About Upstream Public Health
> 
> Upstream Public Health (Upstream) was founded in 2003 to improve health and reduce health disparities in Oregon by implementing innovative solutions to prevent the root causes of premature death and disease. Upstream advances policy and program solutions designed to change the factors that contribute to poor health - the places where we live, work, and play. In other words, our focus is on preventing sickness, rather than treating it. Upstream is currently working to create healthy school environments and to promote early childhood preventive services. We believe that all kids should have the opportunity to eat healthy school lunches and that everyone should have access to dental services to prevent and treat painful cavities. We also work to improve active transportation options and decrease tobacco use among teens.
> 
> -----------------
> 
>  
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> Please let me know if you have any questions,
> 
> Tia Henderson
> 
> Tia Henderson, PhD Research Manager at Upstream Public Health
> tia at upstreampublichealth.org |office 503-284-6390 |
> 
> 
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