“Attendance Works,” an organization whose mission is to “advance student success and help close equity gaps by reducing chronic absence,” cites the following:
– 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 (20 days) of school.
– Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or are held back.
– Research shows that missing 10 percent of a student’s school days, which is considered “chronically absent” (18 days in PCSD) negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
– When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
– By 6th grade chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Read the full issue of January’s Counselor Connection here. English | Spanish