Talk Tuesdays - Student Attendance and Engagement

Past Meetings

• Talk Tuesday Sessions 2024-25

  • Attendance Works: Strengthening the Summer Bridge to Support Increased Attendance and Engagement, May 27, 2025, Emma Herdean, Ed.D., Senior Fellow, Attendance Works, and Elliott Attisha, DO FAAP, Senior Fellow for Health, Attendance Works. Watch recording
  • School-Based Mentoring Initiative: Needs Assessment Findings, May 13, 2025, 
    Jo Hawke, Associate Director and Lead Researcher & Evaluator, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership; and
    • Leveraging Tiered Intervention Through MTSS: Meeting the Needs of All Learners, Angelo Saba III, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Ruth W. Rose, Principal, Daisy Ingraham Elementary School, Westbrook Public Schools; and 
    • Improving Student Attendance In Special Populations, Robert Swan, Director of Pupil Services, East Haven Public Schools and Nathaniel Testroet, Assistant Principal and Attendance Team Chair, Joseph Melillo Middle School, East Haven Public Schools. 

    Building Relationships / Collaboration and Strategy Exchange, April 29, 2025, Sandra Romero, Family and Community Engagement Manager, Waterbury Public Schools and Various Facilitators - Collaboration and Strategy Exchange. Watch Recording

  • Reporting Information about Students in PSIS who are Disengaged; Requirements for and Withdrawal of Students from Public School to Adult Education (17 and 18 year olds), Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE; and Strategies for Attendance Incentives that Work (Low Cost / High Impact), April 1, 2025, Kenneth Joseph, Booker T. Washington Charter School and Erica Treannie, Bristol Public Schools, Slides | Watch Recording
  • Strategies for Attendance Incentives that Work (Low Cost / High Impact), March 18, 2025, Kristina Ciotto, Student Services, New London Public Schools and Latasha Easterling-Turnquest, Chief of Family Partnership & Student Engagement, Manchester Public Schools-Welcome Center, Slides | Watch Recording

  • LEAP Program at The Bridge at ACES: Addressing Student Absenteeism & Engagement in an Alternative Education Setting, March 4, 2025, Dr. Lisa Simone, Director of ACES Youth Justice and Education Services, ACES; Cynthia Ratchelous, ACES LEAP Coordinator, Shannelle Hanson, The Bridge LEAP Coordinator, Slides | Watch Recording

  • Connecting to: Community Mental Health Resources and CONNECT IV, February 4, 2025, Sarah White, Project Coordinator, Child Health Development Institute (CHDI), Lisa Palazzo, Region 4 Network Care, Carelon Behavioral Health, Meredith Tukey, Director of Mental Health, Student Wellness and Family Engagement, Killingly Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

  • Home Visiting (LEAP) - Naugatuck Public Schools, January 21, 2025, Francisco Baires, LEAP Coordinator, CREC (Capitol Region Education Council), Nuchette Black-Burke, CT Home Visit Hub (HV), CREC (Capitol Region Education Council), Nicole Jeanetti, Assistant Director of Special Services, Naugatuck Public Schools, Angela Griffin, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Naugatuck Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

  • Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness at Norwalk Public Schools, January 7, 2025, Dr. Kimberly Traverso, Education Consultant, CSDE, Robert Pennington - Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Norwalk Public Schools, Dr. Robin Gredinger - Social Worker in Residence, Norwalk Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

  • The Impact on Belonging, December 10, 2024, Dr. Maribel Olivero, Director of Equity and Languages, CSDE, Amanda Pickett, Consultant, CSDE, Dr. Tayarisha Batchelor, Director of Equity and Access, Simsbury Public Schools, Tasonn Haynes, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Avon Public Schools, Natalie Simpson, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, Farmington Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording 

  • Shifting Mindsets Around Attendance & Engagement, November 12, 2024, Caroline Calhoun, Professional Learning and Attendance Specialist & LEAP Coordinator, EdAdvance, and Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, Chief, Office of Youth, Family & Community Engagement, New Haven Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

  • Special Edition Talk Tuesday on School Health and Attendance with CT Department of Public Health (DPH), October 29, 2024, Chlo-Anne Bobrowski, MSN RN, Education Manager, CSDE, Kathy Kudish, Deepa Mavani, Lynn Sosa, and Kristin Soto, DPH, and Suzanne Lavasseur, MSN, APRN, CPNP, Supervisor of Health Services, Westport Public Schools Slides | Watch recording

  • Attendance & Engagement : CT Department of Children and Families (DCF) – Careline, October 15, 2024, Lisa Daymonde, DCF Careline Director, and Vanessa Hudson, DCF Careline Program Supervisor  Slides | Watch Recording

  • College & Career Accelerator (CCA), October 1, 2024, Dan Cocchiola, Director of Career Pathways, (Ed Advance); and Jennifer Preuss, Director of Curriculum and Instruction (Thomaston Public Schools) Slides |  Watch recording

  • Multilingual and English Language Learner Families, September 17, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research and Innovation (Ed Advance); Joanne Creedon, Director of ELL and Bilingual Services (Torrington Public Schools); Sue Fergusson, Assistant Superintendent (Torrington Public Schools); and Jenny Garcia, District Parent Educator & Bilingual Community/Family Liaison (Torrington Public Schools) Slides | Watch recording

  • Attendance & Engagement 101: Data Monitoring, August 20, 2024, Briana Hennessy, EdSight, ETLs, Data Integration, Reporting-public and Secure (CSDE), Kendra Shakir, PSIS Manager (CSDE), Kara Wanzer, Administrator for Data, Research and Assessment (Danbury Public Schools), Kelly Truchsess, Assistant Superintendent (Danbury Public Schools) Slides |Watch recording
  • Attendance & Engagement 101: Back to Basics, August 13, 2024, Caroline Calhoun, Professional Learning and Attendance Specialist & LEAP Coordinator (EdAdvance,) and Emily McClain, SRBI/Assessment Coordinator, (Hamden Public Schools) Slides | Watch recording

  Talk Tuesday Sessions 2023-24

  • Learning Academy- Stonington Public Schools Lisa Babcock, Supervisor of Special Services and Nora Selinger, School Counselor, April 30, 2024. Watch recording! 

  • Care Coordination and Resources for Students and Families Stephanie Bozak, Psy.D., Alice Demeo, Bethany Zorba, Department of Children and Families; and Gabrielle Hall, Carelon, April 2, 2024. Watch recording! 

  • Attendance Dashboard Briana Hennessy, Education Consultant, CSDE, April 2, 2024. Watch Recording!

  • Comprehensive School Mental Health: School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) System/CONNECT’ing Schools to Care IV Students (Connect IV) Stephanie Bozak, Psy.D., Behavioral Health Clinical Manager of Children's Mental Health (DCF); Rebekah Behan, Jamie LoCurto, Jeana Bracey (Child Health and Development Institute); and Sarah Duso, Equity Director (Norwich Public Schools), March 19, 2024. Watch recording!

  • High School Student Panel on Attendance Nicole Vitale, SERC, March 5, 2024. Recording coming soon!

  • High School Attendance Affinity Group Series Ann Marie Cordisco and Elisa Laudati, SERC, February 6, 2024. Watch recording!

  • Improving Attendance by Addressing Homelessness and Housing Instability Louis Tallarita, LMSW, Education Consultant, CSDE, January 23, 2024. Watch recording!

  • Mobile Crisis and Urgent Crisis Centers Stephanie Bozak, Psy.D., Behavioral Health Clinical Manager of Children's Mental Health at Department of Children and Families; Rosa Baldino, LCSW, Project Coordinator at Wellness Behavioral Health; and Brittni Lourenco, Clinical Supervisor at Mobile Crisis; January 9, 2024. Watch recording!

  • Family Engagement- Supporting Multilingual and Immigrant Families Nitza Diaz, SERC Consultant, and Lourdes Delgado- Faith and Education Coalition, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, (Retired Principal Bridgeport PS), December 12, 2023, Watch recording!

  • Executive Functioning, Mental Health, and Attendance Christine Kuehlewind and Elisa Laudati, SERC, November 28, 2023, Watch recording!

  • Building School Love: Tap the Power of School-based Mentoring Najla Staggers, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership, November 14, 2023, Watch recording!

  • Hartford Public Schools ACE Team Irene Rietze and Abby Olinger Quint, October 31, 2023, Watch recording!

  • BRIGHT SPOTS: Improving High School Student Attendance in Connecticut Helen Duffy, Senior Fellow, Attendance Works, and Matthew Ryan, Principal, East Hartford High School Download Report October 17, 2023, Watch recording!

  • School is Better with You! Attendance Awareness Campaign Caroline Calhoun, EdAdvance, and Nicole Lenti, O'Donnell Company, October 3, 2023, Watch recording!

  • Understanding and Interpreting Monthly Attendance Data for 2023-24, Briana Hennessey, Associate Education Consultant, CSDE Performance Office, September 19, 2023, Watch recording!

   Summer Series 2023 - "Back to Basics"

  • School Climate: Impact on Attendance Amanda Pickett, MSW, Education Consultant, CSDE, Office of Student Supports, August 8, 2023, Watch recording!
  • Attendance & Engagement 101 Caroline Calhoun, EdAdvance, Professional Learning and Attendance Specialist & LEAP Coordinator, July 18, 2023, Watch recording!

   

  Watch! Winter 2023 - E-Learning Series on Attendance & Engagement with Attendance Works - download materials and view recordings.

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  Talk Tuesday Sessions 2022-23

• Transition to Kindergarten and Turnkey Strategies for Improving Attendance at the Elementary Level Paquita Jarman-Smith, SERC Consultant,  Paul DeBernado, Principal, and Julie Church, East Haven Public Schools, May 16, 2023. Watch recording!

• Aligned and Integrated Efforts: Teams and Data Amanda Pickett, CSDE, and Cheryl Gustafson, Safe School Climate and Equity Coordinator, East Windsor Public Schools. May 2, 2023. Watch recording!

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA)/Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: A General Overview of Differences, Jay Brown, Bureau of Special Education Consultant (Academic Office), CSDE, You Can Go To Class Too! Video, Dean Greene, Stamford High School, April 18, 2023, Watch recording!

• THE RESET: Attendance Matters - Why Now? Windsor Public Schools, Christina Morales, District Coordinator, Office of Family and Community Partnerships, Dr. Noha Hady, Acting Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, Dr. Michael Mallery, District Coordinator, Social Emotional Learning, April 4, 2023. Watch recording!

• Summer Programming and Enrichment Opportunities Hartford Public Schools: Attendance, Culture, and Engagement (ACE) Summer Work Plans, Corinne Barney, Hartford Public Schools and 2023-24 Summer Enrichment Grants, John Scianimanico, CSDE, March 21, 2023. Watch recording!

• District/School Attendance Teams  Christine Kuehlwind, SERC, and Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE, March 7, 2023. Watch recording!

• High School Bright Spots Inika Williams, Associate Director for Policy, Attendance Works, and Helen Duffy, Senior Fellow, Attendance Works and Bassick High School in Bridgeport: Chronic Absenteeism Work, Dr. Joseph Raiola, Principal, Bassick High School, February 21, 2023. Watch recording!

• Overview and Evaluation of the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP) Caroline Calhoun, EdAdvance, Francisco Baires, CREC, and LaTasha Easterling-Turnquest, Manchester Public Schools, CCERC: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Home Visits Who Wer Chronically Absent in the Era of COVID-19 February 7, 2023. Watch recording!

• Educational Neglect, Truancy and Positive Interventions for Addressing Truancy Lisa Daymond, Careline Director, DCF, Ed Eckert, CT-Kind, DCF, Susan Lauria, Stamford Youth Services, and Mathew Laskowski, Executive Director for Access and Opportunity, Stamford Public Schools, January 24, 2023. Watch recording!

• Attendance Data in EdSight, David Alexandro, Ph.D., and Stephanie O'Day, M.A., CSDE, January 10, 2023. Watch recording!

• Credit Recovery: Personal Interest Projects Dr. Liz Radday, Director of School Services, EdAdvance, Matt Mervis, EdAdvance, Kelly Brooks, Montville Public Schools, December 13, 2022. Watch recording!

• Connecticut Weekly Respiratory Viral Disease Trends Report Kristen Soto, MPH, COVID-19 and Influenza Surveillance Unit Coordinator/Epidemiologist 4Infectious Disease Section, Connecticut Department of Public Health, November 15, 2022. Watch recording!

• Is Everyone Welcomed? Stephen Proffitt, Director for Special Education Programs and Instruction Design, SERC, November 1, 2022
• Fall Focus on Success #2: New London Public Schools, Attendance and Multilingual Families, Maribel Olivero, Director of Bilingual Education, ESOL, Rachel Newer, School Social Worker, New London High School, and Kristina Ciotto, Elementary English Learners, October 18, 2022, Watch recording!
• Attendance Awareness Social Media Campaign, Caroline Calhoun and Devonna Dionne, EdAdvance, and Attendance and COVID-19 Guidance, Kari Sullilvan Custer, CSDE, October 4, 2022, Watch recording!
• Fall Focus on Success #1: Bristol Public Schools, Erika Treannie, Director of Climate, Culture, and Engagement, September 20, 2022

Summer 2022 "Back-to-Basics" Series

• Equitable and Inclusive Partnerships with Families to Support Student Attendance and Engagement, Judy Carson, Ph.D., Education Consultant, School-Family-Community Partnerships,CSDE, and Alice Farrell, JD, LCSW, MSW, President and CEO, Olive Branch Clinical and Consulting Services, LLC

• Unpacking Data to identify Trends and Root Causes Kari Sullivan Custer, Education Consultant, CSDE, and Carli Rocha-Reaes, Director of School Counseling, Bridgeport Public Schools, August 9, 2022. Watch recording! Watch recording! 

• School Climate: Impact on Attendance Amanda Pickett, Climate and Culture Consultant, CSDE, Dr. Michelle Baker, Principal, Wilby High School, Waterbury, July 26, 2022. Watch recording!

• School Attendance Teams are Foundational to Improving Attendance Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE, and School Attendance Teams in Action, Norwich Public Schools, Sara Duso, Equity Director, Jon Turban, Attendance and Family Engagement Supervisor, and Cindy Beaugard, Family Engagement Coordinator, July 12, 2022, Watch Recording!

Attendance & Engagement Community of Practice (CoP) Sessions 2021-22

• Spotlight on Transition Strategies to Support Rising 9th Graders Sonya A. Stemmer, Supervisor of Professional Learning & Teacher Evaluation, East Hartford Public Schools and Hedy Chang Executive Director, Attendance Works, May 19, 2022. Watch recording!
• Summer and Afterschool Programming: Opportunities, Resources and Innovation Shelby Pons and John Scianimanico from the Connecticut State Department of Education and Dan Dziedzic, Teacher and Afterschool Coordinator at Bristol Public Schools, April 21, 2022, Watch Recording
• Deepening Relationships with Priority Groups Hedy Chang, Attendance Works and Erika Treannie, Director of Climate, Culture and Engagement, Bristol Public Schools, March 17, 2022, Watch recording.
• Monitoring Current Data Trends to Support Improved Attendance & Engagement Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer, CSDE, February 17, 2022, Download Protocol Tool Watch recording.
• Why Tier 1 Relationship Building Continues to Matter Hedy Chang, Attendance Works, and Characteristics of High Impact Engagement And Relationship Building, Judy Carson, CSDE, November 18, 2021 Watch recording 
• Tier 1 & Tier 2 Relationship Building at Scale Hedy Chang, Attendance Works and Amanda Picket, CSDE, October 21, 2021

2021-22 Presentations by Topic Area

Building Systems to Address Attendance

• Review of C.G.S. 19-198a, Policies and procedures concerning truants Kari Sullivan Custer, Connecticut State Department of Education, May 31, 2022
• Building Systems Coherence to Strengthen Social-Emotional Behavioral Learning and Supports to Maximize Student Engagement and Success Kimberly Traverso, Education Consultant, CSDE, and Dr. Michael Mallery, District Coordinator of Social Emotional Learning at Windsor Public Schools, May 3, 2022, Watch Recording!
• Best Practices for Improving Attendance by Addressing School Health Assessments and Immunizations Chlo-Anne Bobrowski, MSN RN, Education Manager School Health and Family Services and Dr. Ann Meade, The Office of Family, School, and Community Partnerships, Danbury Public Schools and Laura Shulman Cordeira, MPH, Director of Community Health and Wellness, RVNA Health of Ridgefield CT, May 17, 2022, Watch Recording!
• Hartford Public Schools: From Attendance to ACE Corinne Barney, Executive Director of School Improvement, Hartford Public Schools, April 5, 2022
• Our Attendance Journey, The Bridge Academy Rachel Allison, Principal, March 8, 
• 2022, Watch recording.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE, September 21, 2021
• Mobilize your Teams! Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE, September 7, 2021
• Attendance 101 Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE, August 24, 2021
• Spark Innovation!  Focusing on Attendance & Engagement in the New Normal CSDE and SERC, July 27, 2021

Building Relationships

• Deepening Relationships with Priority Groups Hedy Chang, Attendance Works and Erika Treannie, Director of Climate, Culture and Engagement, Bristol Public Schools, March 17, 2022, Watch recording.
  Reconnecting with Families: a Communitywide Approach Mike Meyer, Director of Family & Community Engagement, Stamford Public Schools, and Susan Lauria, Program Coordinator, Stamford Youth Services, January 25, 2022
• Why Tier 1 Relationship Building Continues to Matter and Characteristics of High Impact Engagement And Relationship Building Hedy Chang, Attendance Works, and Judy Carson, CSDE, November 18, 2021 Watch recording  
• Building Relationships Through Instruction  Amanda Pickett, CSDE, November 16, 2021. Watch recording.  
• Tier 1 & Tier 2 Relationship Building at Scale Hedy Chang, Attendance Works and Amanda Picket, CSDE, October 21, 2021
• Beginning of the Year Relationship Building Tools Dr. Judy Carson, CSDE, August 10, 2021

Focus on Student Groups

• Spotlight on Transition Strategies to Support Rising 9th Graders Sonya A. Stemmer, Supervisor of Professional Learning & Teacher Evaluation, East Hartford Public Schools and Hedy Chang Executive Director, Attendance Works, May 19, 2022
• Improving Attendance by Addressing Homelessness and Housing Instability Louis Tallarita, CSDE, December 14, 2021. Watch recording.
• Improving Attendance & Engagement for Students with Disabilities  Jay Brown, CSDE, November 30, 2021

Data Tracking and Monitoring

• Review of Truancy Statute and Definitions Kari Sullivan Custer, Connecticut State Department of Education, May 31, 2022
• Protocol for Examining Monthly Attendance Data and District Spotlight: Bridgeport Public Schools Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE and Carli Rocha-Reaes, Director of School Counseling, Bridgeport Public Schools, March 22, 2022, Watch recording.
• Monitoring Current Data Trends to Support Improved Attendance & Engagement Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer, and Briana Hennessey, CSDE, February 17, 2022, Download Protocol Tool, Watch recording.
• ICYMI - Supported: Leveraging Attendance Data to Ensure Ongoing Success Webinar Attendance Works, Kari Sullivan, October 19, 2021

Connecting to Learning

• Summer and Afterschool Programming: Opportunities, Resources and Innovation Shelby Pons and John Scianimanico from the Connecticut State Department of Education and Dan Dziedzic, Teacher and Afterschool Coordinator at Bristol Public Schools  
• Learning Recovery Strategies for Secondary Students with High Absence Rates Erica Forti, Superintendent, East Haven Public Schools, January 11, 2022. Watch recording