Photo provided Cross Creek Elementary has seen a boost in school attendance and attributes it to the school’s involvement with the Leader in Me initiative. LIM, as it is known, integrates leadership, culture, and success and helps improve student learning because they want to come to school. Pictured are, from left, third graders Aria Kachur, Abby Miller, and Annie Ramsey honing their skills in a school pod.

WINTERSVILLE-Cross Creek Elementary has seen a boost in attendance, and officials attribute that jump to the school’s ongoing involvement in the Leader in Me (LIM) initiative.

LIM, which was created by the Utah-based group FranklinCovey and adopted by more than 5,000 schools worldwide, has been implemented across the Indian Creek School District for the past five years. It is a comprehensive educational framework for grades PreK-12 that integrates leadership, culture, and success both in school and at home. The program is rooted in the principles of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and helps students take ownership of their learning, make proactive choices, and contribute positively to their communities.

Since its implementation three years ago, CCE students have been emboldened to better themselves by setting goals and becoming leaders, conducting roles throughout their class and school such as becoming office messengers or older classmen reading to younger peers. Officials said they have been seeing results, particularly through increased attendance. According to school statistics, about 93 percent of its students attended in March and CCE indicated a drop in chronic absenteeism from 26.5 percent to 19.4 percent over the past two years. Students and classes are also recognized with certificates and rewards for showing up, which inspires others to attain that goal and, in turn, spur further success.

The issue of chronic absenteeism has even made its way into Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent State of the State Address, where he referenced the need to curb absenteeism and announced the launch of his new Statewide Attendance Dashboard on April 15. The dashboard will provide real-time attendance data for every school district in the state and aims to take action to improve attendance rates. The initiative is a joint effort between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and will provide weekly updates on chronic absenteeism rates for every district.

However, Cross Creek has shown it is already taking positive steps through its implementation of LIM.

“The correlation to the attendance [is that] the students are experiencing these leadership roles and environmental changes. Our staff does a fantastic job of welcoming students, letting them know that they’re cared for, loved, and appreciated,” said Principal Dan Hartman. “The Leader In Me program also offers them the voice to share their thoughts, something different or something that we are trying to implement. I would say that the program plays a factor in attendance because the kids are excited about it. They want to come in here. They want to share their leadership [and] have their voices heard.”

Hartman noted that the faculty and staff have also embraced the concept and it has bolstered the school climate, making students want to come and learn.

“Learning gaps are being filled. If they are here, they can learn and achieve success. It also helps them socially because they are with peers and adults who care,” he said.

School counselor Brittany Shank, who has overseen the program’s implementation, agreed.

“We are teaching kids social, emotional and personal learning skills,” she said.

Shank added that a Lighthouse team of teachers help establish goals for the building that trickle down to the students. As a result, the students feel a sense of belonging.

“They want to come to school. They have ownership of their learning. They get to set their goals, not just academically, but personally, socially and emotionally. So, they want to be here, which is wonderful,” Shank added. “Our staff does a wonderful job of making them that excitement of coming to school, and learning increases. Their attendance has been increasing, which is important because we can’t support them if they are not here. The more they are here, the more they learn. Every minute counts.”

And by offering incentives such as certificates to students for perfect attendance and pizza parties each month for the top class in the cafeteria, it inspires more of their peers to meet that goal, which in turn breeds more success. Officials said 77 students yielded perfect attendance in January and a first-grade class posted a 98-percent rate to earn the main prize in February, so the plan is obviously working.

One such success story is third-grader Braddock Goff, who has maintained perfect attendance since beginning at CCE. Goff said he not only enjoyed school but also the roles he could play while being there.

“It’s just fun seeing my friends here and learning new stuff,” he commented.

Jessica Mosti, school liaison through the Jefferson County Juvenile Court, said she has worked with school officials to reduce truancy issues by reaching out to families when students are absent and remind them to contact the school when their kids are sick. Mosti said the key is to also reach kids early to set the pace for their academic success, which also conforms with LIM’s ideals.

“I think you need to establish a relationship with the students and their families and share how important it is to come to school at a young age, so they can build friendships and want to come to school.”

District Superintendent T.C. Chappelear was also pleased with the outcome.

“They’ve done a lot of work to reduce chronic absenteeism and it’s really paid off,” Chappelear concluded. “The staff and students love the program and have built relationships, and the students want to be in school.”