• Attendance Rates
• Quarterly Assessments scores - English/Language Arts
• PARCC Scores - Mathematics (Elementary grades 3, 4, 5)
• PARCC Scores - English/Language Arts (Elementary grades 3, 4, 5)

Key Challenge #1:  Attendance Rates

Despite a variety of incentives and interventions aimed at improving student attendance over the past few school years, attendance continues to be an area of great concern, as our attendance percentage remains below 95%. Approximately 10% of our student population has demonstrated chronic absenteeism as defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Daily school attendance is essential for student success. Every student absence results in missed instruction which creates gaps in learning. Students with excessive absences or tardiness struggle to maintain academic skills. In the long run, those gaps will result in overall low student achievement.  

As a school staff, we recognize the impact that poor attendance has on student success, and that there are many contributing factors to our attendance challenges.  Unfortunately, regular school attendance is not a priority in all homes. For example, students often miss school or depart early for athletic events and tournaments, and families book vacations throughout the school year. Since many of our students walk to school, weather has a direct correlation to daily attendance. In addition, a small number of households within the community lack daily routines and structures such as establishing a bedtime and limiting evening screentime. This lack of routine adds challenges for families to follow the school schedule which leads to absenteeism and a high rate of tardiness.

In order to address our attendance concerns, we have established an Attendance Awareness Committee and work closely with our designated Pupil Personnel Worker diligently to improve daily attendance.  A few recent incentives include quarterly perfect attendance recognition, a morning “Breakfast Club,” and a monthly attendance HERO (Here, Everyday, Ready, On-time) incentive which includes activities such as Pajama Day, Board Game Day, and an opportunity to “pie the teacher.”

• Socio-Economic Issues (employment, income levels, housing costs)
• Limited English proficiency for students and/or families
• Families in Crisis (mental, physical emotional, financial)

Key Challenge #2:  Socio-Economic Issues (employment, income levels, housing costs)

Riviera Beach Elementary School has experienced an increase in the number of families that are impacted by socio-economic concerns related to income, employment, and housing.  However, when students and families are faced with new challenges at home, Riviera Beach Elementary strives to be a constant in the lives of each child. 

With financial hardship, the struggle to find adequate housing can lead to families living together in multigenerational households and even homelessness. Many of our students are being raised by extended family members. In several instances, one or both parents are absent from the family dynamic. A few students in our school are also struggling with food insecurity. The percentage of students at Riviera Beach Elementary receiving free/reduced lunch is approximately 40%.  

Some families in our school community struggle to access outside resources to assist with the concerns listed above. We have arranged services for parents with community-based outreach programs such as Thrive Behavioral Health Services, the Caring Cupboard food pantry, EC CRICT, Community Christian, Jenkins Memorial Church, Hope for All, and the Pasadena Business Association. These organizations provide much needed assistance in the areas of food, clothing, holiday gifts, school supplies, counseling services, and parenting classes.

Key Challenge #3:  Families in Crisis (mental, physical emotional, financial)

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of families experiencing crisis or trauma. Trauma impacts families in a variety of ways; often the stress associated with it can affect one’s physical and emotional well being.  When students experience a crisis, it impacts their ability to function in school. If students lack the power to engage during the school day over a long period of time, it can be detrimental to their academic achievement. We have seen trauma impact residency as well as custody and kinship, and due to the stress caused by these situations, it is not uncommon for family members to turn to substance abuse. 

We are fortunate to have a school counselor assigned to our building every day of the week to support students in need. In addition, we have a Pupil Personnel Worker and a school nurse who are able to assist families with community resources. Multiple therapists from Thrive Behavioral Health work directly with many of our children and families in need of support. 

• Socio-economic community issues (employment, income levels, housing costs)
• Significant changes over time in student/community demographics