District Newsletter: Our Early Warning System for Students Who Need Support

Early warning systems use data to identify students who are showing signs of disengagement before those signs become serious academic problems. When families understand how the system works, what triggers outreach from the school, and how to respond when they are contacted, the system works better for everyone.

What an Early Warning System Is

An early warning system is a data-monitoring process that tracks specific indicators strongly associated with later academic difficulty or dropout risk. Our district monitors three primary indicators: attendance rate, grade performance in core courses, and behavioral referrals. Students who show concerning patterns on any of these trigger outreach from the school team.

The Three Key Indicators

Research consistently identifies three early warning indicators: attendance below 90% of school days, failing a core course, and two or more disciplinary referrals in a semester. These indicators, alone or in combination, predict academic risk with significant accuracy when present in middle and high school grades.

How We Identify Students

Our early warning dashboard is reviewed by school counselors and assistant principals regularly. When a student meets one or more indicator thresholds, they are added to a watch list and assigned to a staff member for follow-up. This does not mean the student is in trouble. It means they are being noticed and someone is reaching out.

What Happens When We Contact a Family

Families contacted through the early warning process will hear from their student's counselor or a designated staff member. The outreach is supportive, not punitive. The goal is to understand what is going on and to connect the student with support before a small problem becomes a larger one.

A Sample Early Warning Newsletter Excerpt

"Our district monitors attendance, grades, and behavior for every student. When a student starts showing concerning patterns on any of these, a counselor reaches out. Not to create a problem, but to catch one before it grows. Here is how the system works and what to expect if you receive a call from your school."

What Early Intervention Looks Like

Students identified through the early warning system may receive a counselor check-in, connection to tutoring or academic support, referral to mental health services, attendance outreach, or a family meeting to discuss what is happening and what support the school can provide.

How Families Can Help

Families can support the early warning system by communicating with the school when something is going on at home that might affect their student's attendance or engagement. Daystage makes it easy to contact your school counselor directly from any newsletter.