EVERY STUDENT. ON TIME. EVERY DAY
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS
DID YOU KNOW
Starting as early as kindergarten and prekindergarten, chronic absence can have adverse consequences for academic achievement. Research shows that by third grade, chronically absent students, especially those who have experienced multiple years of poor attendance are less likely to read on grade level. By sixth grade, chronic absence becomes a warning sign that a student will drop out of high school.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Good attendance helps children do well in school and eventually in the workplace.
- Students are at risk academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year, that’s 2 days a month or about 18 days a year. Once too many absences occur, they can affect learning, regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.
WHAT CAN YOU DO
Everybody plays a role in ensuring children attend school regularly.
- Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance.
- Set the expectation for good attendance. Make getting to school on time every day a top priority.
- Monitor your child’s absences so that miss days don’t add up to academic trouble.
- Alert schools and community agencies to barriers that keep your child from attending school.
- Schools, families, and communities can work together to promote daily school attendance.