Attendance Specialist

Position Overview

The Attendance Specialist leads the school’s work to ensure every student is present, engaged, and learning every day. The role combines data stewardship, family engagement, and tiered intervention in full alignment with D.C. compulsory attendance law (§ 38-202 & § 38-203), Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) truancy reporting rules, and Public Charter School Board (PCSB) accountability expectations. The specialist partners with teachers, counselors, social workers, and external agencies to reduce chronic absenteeism and drive a culture of attendance. This role reports to the Chief Operations Officer. The duties of this position are many and varied; they require an individual who can prioritize multiple tasks, work in a fast-paced environment, and still keep a smile on their face. This is a 12-month exempt position that may occasionally require working outside of normal business hours.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Data & Compliance 

• Ensure staff entry of daily attendance, tardiness, and early dismissal data in PowerSchool.
• Reconcile attendance within 24 hours.
• Produce weekly attendance dashboards, chronic absenteeism trackers, and 5th/ 7th/10th/15th unexcused-day OSSE reports.
• Certify year-end attendance file submission within 60 days of the last instructional day. 

Early Warning & Tiered Intervention

• Identify students likely at risk by flagging 5 unexcused absences.
• Convene regular Attendance Student Support Team (SST) meetings.
• Lead the attendance team in developing individual intervention plans as needed.
• Coordinate escalating interventions such as calls, texts, letters, home visits, virtual or in-person conferences, and referrals to wrap-around services.
• Ensure interventions are properly documented and tracked.

Family & Community Engagement

• Serve as primary attendance contact for families.
• Develop and deliver culturally responsive communications such as flyers, webinars, in-person gatherings related to DC attendance laws and resources, as well as the importance of regular attendance.
• Partner with stakeholders (school staff, families, community-based organizations) to develop incentives and solutions that remove barriers to daily attendance.
• Conceptualize, define, lead, and implement campus-wide attendance campaigns.
• Make home visits as needed.

Staff Training & Collaboration

• Train teachers and other front-office staff as needed on accurate coding, excuse note collection, and effective communication with families.
• Participate in grade-level meetings and/or huddles.
• Present attendance trends to school leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, public health, data analytics, or related field.
• Two plus (2 ) years of experience in K-12 attendance and/or case management. Experience with a D.C. charter school is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of D.C. compulsory education statutes and OSSE / PCSB attendance requirements and protocols.
• Experience managing projects and coordinating activities.
• Must be able to pass a background check.
• Experience with, and track record of, engaging families and students on attendance initiatives. 

Desired Skills and Abilities

• Bilingual (English; Spanish or Amharic).
• Master’s degree or licensure in social work, counseling, or educational leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Multi-faceted, multi-skilled, resourceful and willing to do whatever it takes to help our school reach a level of academic excellence.
• High level of detail orientation and sound excellent organizational skills.
• Be available for events, activities or functions outside of school hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Access, Word etc.), Google Sheets, and other Google products.
• Experience working with linguistically and ethnically diverse family and student populations, and children with developmental differences.
  

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, public health, data analytics, or related field.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.

EEO Statement: 

CMI does not discriminate against, or tolerate discrimination against, employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis or protected class including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration status (except as necessary to comply with federal, DC, state, or local law), religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), age, physical or mental  disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), marital status (including domestic partnership  status), genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy, family responsibilities, personal appearance, veteran status, uniform service member  status, status of being unemployed, status of victim a survivor of domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking, matriculation or any other protected  class under federal, state, DC, or local law.

Salary : $65,696 - $87,590