By Janine DavisRecord Staff WriterSince taking the reins, R-III Superintendent Dr. Jim Chandler set an agenda to improve attendance as one of three key priorities for advancing student achievement.Four months into his tenure, attendance numbers are trending up, indicating the push is paying off.Chandler and building principals reviewed key data and figures through November with the R-III school board during its Dec. 12 regularly monthly meeting.The reporting of attendance, discipline and academic snapshots have become a standing part of every monthly board meeting, showing how much the school is closely monitoring each component of Chandler’s three-part strategic focus.Schools Strive for ‘90-90 Club’“If kids aren’t here, they’re not learning,” has been a mantra for Chandler, who has set his building principals on a mission to achieve a “90-90” attendance goal of having 90 percent of students in attendance 90 percent of the time.Comparing rates for the current 2013-2014 school year versus last year, monthly attendance numbers made gains during the months of August, October and November for a year-to-date average of 95.5 percent versus last year’s overall 93.62 percent attendance score. Numbers for 2012-2013 fell short of the state of Missouri’s 95 percent requirement and the state average of 94.7.As the R-III district strives to improve its mediocre student achievement scores on the 2012-2013 MSIP 5, the rating system used for accreditation by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Chandler and other school leaders have zeroed in on attendance, discipline and academic achievement to boost test scores and help prepare students for life after secondary education.The district reinforces its attendance priority with a message on the front page of its web site: “Regular attendance in class is an important factor to a student’s success in school. An integral part of the learning experience is the interaction between students and teachers. One indicator for success is good school attendance.This is how the district receives money from the state. Another way we calculate student attendance is the 90-90 Attendance Goal: we want 90 percent of the students in attendance 90 percent of the time. This is how the district is graded to receive district accreditation under MSIP 5.”IncentivesWith so much riding on attendance improvement, schools in the district are offering incentives to keep kids coming to school, especially during the winter holiday months, which many seem to take as an opportunity for extended days off for hunting and other activities.At Warrenton High School, Principal Jeremy Way noted the positive trend for his building.“This is our fourth month in a row of having improved attendance,” Way told the board, noting that the school had conducted an incentive “blitz” going into the end of November.“We’ve always had issues with (attendance) right before Thanksgiving break with people going out hunting,” reported Way. “So we had a blitz at the beginning of that week so if they were there — without tardies — we offered them some free time later. We had 615 kids achieve this.”As Christmas approached, the high school promoted “15 Days” of attendance, using incentive prizes — many donated — such as gas cards, movie theater gift cards, restaurant cards, a pizza party, season pool passes and a tablet device to entice uninterrupted attendance leading up to the holiday break.Black Hawk Middle School Principal Lisa Pirrung reported year-to-date attendance of 94.89 percent, up from last year. Pirrung reported the school had “The 12 Days of Black Hawk” to promote attendance, which included randomly selecting kids at school each day to receive special snacks. The promotion concluded Friday, Dec. 20, with a drawing of students in attendance to receive a Kindle Fire e-reader. One device for each grade level was given, Pirrung said, noting that the school had raised funds for the incentives.The attendance promotion focus extends to the elementary schools.Dr. Carrie Schwierjohn, principal of Daniel Boone Elementary reported that her building also conducted a “15 Days” attendance blitz, offering what Schwierjohn calls “very simple things” like one day of being able to chew gum in class to keep kids excited about school during the holiday month. Another tactic is targeting students who are on the cusp of 90 percent attendance and having a teacher make a special connection with them each day.“It’s amazing how little things seem to make a difference in getting kids excited about being here,” said Schwierjohn.RIII Attendence Numbers Trending Up