Attendance Matters
Straight from the principal’s office. Did you know? One of our district initiatives this school year is improving attendance for both students and staff. Because we know how important attendance is for student success, we did a little research in order to share some facts with you. Let’s start with defining what we mean when we refer to Chronic Absenteeism. Chronic Absenteeism is a term that describes absences that have caused the student to miss ten percent (10%) of the school year, for any reason. Now let’s look at a few facts related to chronic absenteeism Research shows that:
- Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
- Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
- When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.