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The Impact of Pathways to Potential

We’re getting a closer look at the impact the Pathways to Potential program is having in some of our Michigan schools in a newly released progress report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

We’re getting a closer look at the impact the Pathways to Potential program is having in some of our Michigan schools in a newly released progress report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Pathways to Potential, created by the state and MDHHS in 2012 after studying the Kent School Services Network supported by several CMF members, places success coaches in schools to work one-on-one with families to identify potential issues and connect them to necessary services.

The program focuses on attendance, education, health, safety and self-sufficiency and is aimed at reducing barriers that may result in truancy or chronic absenteeism for students.

According to the state, a student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10 percent or more of possible school days. The latest data from the Michigan Department of Education shows that statewide, 15.6 percent of Michigan students are considered chronically absent.

As CMF reported last fall, the state expanded the program into more schools across the state to ensure students are in the classroom and ready to learn. The latest numbers show the program is underway in 300 schools in 41 counties.

MDHHS shares that schools are seeing success with the program as the rate of chronic absenteeism has decreased in participating schools from 53.3 percent to 39.7 percent since it launched in 2012.

The program uses an online tool, supported through a grant by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to log, track and manage all meetings and interventions, and monitor progress of each success coach. The report shares that the tool helps gauge training needs, identify issues and target solutions. Below are data points and analysis gleaned from the tool.

Highlights:

  • In the 2016-2017 school year, success coaches led more than 131,000 interventions.

  • About 38 percent of those interventions were with parents, 33 percent were with students and 29 percent were with partners from the school, community and MDHHS.

  • Success coaches logged more than 92,000 “outcome actions” from their interventions. The most common action for coaches was providing students and families with basic needs, such as donated clothing, hygiene items, and household and school supplies in more than 20,000 cases.

  • Success coaches held more than 47,000 face-to-face meetings with parents, students and school staff in 2016-2017, encouraging parental involvement.

  • Success coaches provided over 19,000 referrals, connecting students and their families to community resources such as food and nutrition programs, mental health services, child care programs, parent support and education courses, Michigan Works! and more.

  • In one school year, the program provided nearly 19,000 prizes, awards and special treats to students who met specific attendance goals.

A success coach shared in the report one of their interventions and the results.

“I reached out to a single dad with a student at my school. The student was sent home five times so far this school year because of head lice,” a success coach from Gladwin County said. “The father agreed to meet with me to brainstorm ideas. At this meeting, I discovered that the family had limited income and minimal access to laundry care. At our meeting I provided him with a lice kit, hair brush, shampoo and laundry detergent from our Personal Needs Pantry. I also arranged with a local laundromat to let this family have free access to the washer and dryer to stop the lice cycle. Since that meeting this student has not missed school again because of head lice.”

This is just one of the many examples of how success coaches are providing assistance and resources to Michigan families to ensure students are in the classroom and ready to learn.

The report details all of the participating schools as well as the top 10 counties which have consistently lowered chronic absenteeism since the program was implemented in their area including: Kalkaska, Newaygo, Ontonagon, Ottawa, Oakland, Jackson, Bay, Midland, Lapeer and St. Clair counties. 

Want more?

Read the full report.

Connect with CMF’s P-20 Education Affinity Group.

Coming up next month, at CMF’s 46th Annual Conference, hear about Launch Michigan, the historic and diverse coalition of stakeholders committed to boosting educational excellence. We will hear from CMF members, partners and a local educator about the outcomes of their work aligned with these efforts.

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