Albatross High

School
EDL 275 FBLA
WADE GRINHAUG
TARGET AUDIENCE – TEACHERS AND STAFF (BEGINNING OF THE YEAR)
SECONDARY AUDIENCE – SCHOOL BOARD
Mission

 The mission of Albatross High School is for each student to exit with a
basic core knowledge, communication skills, and critical thinking
skills necessary to be a life-long, self-directed learner who is able to
adapt successfully to a changing global and technological society.
Also, our students will demonstrate responsible citizenship, as well as
respect for themselves, others, and their environment.
Building goals

 Maintain or improve on the graduation rate (95.9%)

Informal goal -
 Attendance has been and continues to be an area of concern at
Albatross High School that we would like to improve on.
State of the School

 Albatross High School has a graduation rate consistently above the

Iowa and national average
Graduation %
100

98

96

94

92

90

88

86

84

82

80
2006-07 2007-08 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
AHS Iowa National
State of the school

 Albatross High School has an average daily attendance %

consistently below the Iowa average

Attendance %

96

95.5

95

94.5

94

93.5

93

92.5

92
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Iowa AHS
State of the School

 Albatross High School received feedback at the end of the 2017-18

school year about the current attendance policy
- 74% of teachers indicated that unexcused absences is a major concern
at AHS
- 46% of teachers reported concerns with a lack of
accountability/discipline for unexcused absence issues
Break down

Unexcused vs. Excused

6

0
2006-07 2007-08 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Excused % Unexcused %
Results

- We have achieved similar attendance results when using strict

discipline responses versus years when there has been little to no
response towards attendance issues.
- The data indicates that excused absences is the bigger issue when
addressing attendance concerns at Albatross High School.
- Excused absences is something the superintendent and school
board has discussed with us but we haven’t agreed on a change in
policy yet. We will continue to hold these conversations.
What’s next

 We would like to ask for volunteers to start a committee to address

our current attendance policies
 We will continue our current system of addressing unexcused
absences and will work to make the system more efficient
Secondary audience

 If this presentation was delivered at a board meeting, I would focus

on the improved graduation rate and just deliver the attendance
data without breaking it down.
 With the board, I would focus on the consistency of our current
graduation rates and attendance rates.
 The presentation for the board would be much shorter and just
provide an overall snapshot.
Questions