Attendance

Did you know if students miss just two days per month, every month, they are less likely to graduate high school? By third grade, chronic absenteeism can lead to a 50-day instructional gap – more than a quarter of a school year. By the time they graduate, that student has missed 140 days – almost a whole year of schooling.

Regular school attendance is critical to the development and education of children; it is also one of the most powerful predictors of future success, both in school and after graduation. Poor attendance creates significant learning gaps and hinders the opportunities for academic, social and emotional growth, as well as the success daily schooling presents to each student.

Attending school and learning is a progressive activity. This means each day’s lessons build upon those of the day before. The students who are present and participate in discussions, experiments, and demonstrations gain a much more valuable and tangible experience than those who are absent. 

It is easy to overlook how absences add up and impact a student’s success, but even a few days here and there can impact student achievement. Habitual absenteeism leads to frustration for the student and for the teacher. Students will have a difficult time keeping up with their classmates academically and commonly fall behind. It is important to remember that being late to school or leaving school early also results in missed time in class and can affect students just as absences do.