✏️ Design and Planning Risk Indicators (Connect)

Risk Indicators allow you to view and assess student risk using various indicators and data points, facilitating early intervention and support for at-risk students. The configuration enables you to set thresholds for risk levels (Low, Medium, High) based on the selected criteria. Understand that each will differ and may not follow this “recipe.”

Risk Indicators are Useful for:

• Early Warning System: Identifying at-risk students, monitoring chronic absenteeism, assessing 9th-grade on-track status, and evaluating academic risk.
• Recent Incident Flags (Student Flags): Monitoring failing grades, attendance issues, behavior incidents, social-emotional learning (SEL) factors, school climate and culture, and perfect attendance.
• Rank-Order Student Lists: Creating targeted support lists, rank-ordering students for interventions, encouraging stretch learning, recognizing achievements, and identifying candidates for acceleration/honors programs.
• Data Points for Monitoring Change Over Time: Evaluating the impact of interventions, school improvement efforts, and changes in attendance.

Design and Planning Framework

1. Who will use this indicator? School Administrators, Counselors, Teachers,  Intervention Teams, etc.
2. When will it be used? At the beginning of the school year, mid-year assessments may be conducted, or they may be administered regularly throughout the school year (e.g., quarterly, weekly).
3. What format(s) will be most effective? Surfacing summary and/or detailed views on what dashboards, etc.

Data Point Considerations

1. Type of Data:
   • Academic Performance (grades, GPA, assignments)
   • Attendance Records (absences, tardies)
   • Behavioral Incidents (referrals, suspensions)
   • SEL Indicators (surveys, assessments)
   • School Climate and Culture (surveys, assessments)
2. Defining Levels:
   • Risk Levels (how many and what they will be named [e.g., Three levels: Low, Medium, High])
   • Identify what levels will be considered  “at risk.”
3. Range of Values:
   • Each data point must be described from lowest to highest value for each identified level
4. Weighting of data points
   • Weighting can be done to reflect the relative importance of each indicator (e.g., attendance may carry more weight than engagement)

Finalizing Your Risk Indicator

Final Aggregation of Data Points: An overall risk value is determined by adding the risk values of each data point.

Setting the Overall Risk Indicator Levels and Ranges

1. Working Backwards to Adjust Data  Point Ranges and the Overall Risk Levels:
   • Begin with the desired risk levels and work backward to determine how each data point contributes to the overall score.
   • Adjust thresholds based on trial runs and user feedback to ensure they accurately reflect the intended risk identification.

Standard Risk Configurations

Tier Attendance Risk Indicators

Why the Tier I Warning Level? 

It signifies that the foundational supports in the classroom are sufficient to meet the needs of all students. In an ideal Tier I system, 80-85% of students should succeed with universal supports designed to foster:

• Belonging: Creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and connected.
• Relationships: Building strong connections between teachers and students to enhance trust and engagement.
• Relevance: Ensuring learning is meaningful and connected to students’ lives and interests.

Why Tier 3 Extreme Chronic Absence at 20%+? 

Students in this area require significantly more robust support systems than those with lower levels of absenteeism to effectively address their unique challenges and facilitate their reintegration into the school environment.

• Severity of Impact: Students with 25% absence often face more severe academic and social-emotional consequences, resulting in wider learning gaps and increased disengagement from school.
• Underlying Causes: The reasons for extreme absenteeism can be more complex, including mental health issues, family instability, or socioeconomic factors, necessitating more intensive and tailored interventions.
• Support Needs: Those students with 20% or higher absenteeism require specialized, multifaceted approaches. This may include individualized counseling, home visits, and collaboration with social services.
• Engagement Strategies: Engaging severely absent students often requires more persistent and proactive outreach, including building strong relationships and addressing barriers to attendance.

Refer to the comprehensive list of available indicators before creating your document.

SDS Data Points Risk.xlsx

Creating and Managing Risk Indicators

• Design Risk Indicator Training.pdf4 MB
• Risk Basic Indicator Training.pdf2 MB
• SDS Data Points Risk.xlsx - Categories & Groups.pdf20 KB
• SDS Data Points Risk.xlsx - All Data Points.pdf50 KB
• Design and Planning Risk Indicators (Connect).pdf900 KB