State Names Santa Ana Unified School District A 2021 Model School Attendance Review Board Winner
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond recently announced that the Santa Ana Unified School District is among 20 school attendance review boards (SARBs) designated as model programs in California for their attendance strategies during distance learning.
The announcement of these Model SARB Awards comes after an unprecedented disruption of in-person attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Model SARB Award winners, which include 19 school districts and one county office of education, implemented Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans that focused on these four approaches to meeting the needs of students during distance learning:
- Shifting staff roles and responsibilities to meet the needs of distance learning students.
- Supporting virtual attendance of pupils with unique needs.
- Providing for the mental health and well-being of students during distance learning.
- Pupil and family engagement and outreach.
The Model SARBs were recognized publicly during the State SARB meeting on April 15, 2021, and at the annual state conference of the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance on April 27, 2021.
“These 19 school districts and one county office of education created exemplary plans and worked hard to follow through on them to help students stay engaged in their education—all during the unprecedented closure of our schools due to a global pandemic,” said Thurmond. “Many of these same great attendance strategies will also be crucial for student success as even more schools reopen for safe in-person attendance in the near future.”
