EVERYday Counts, Attendance Matters

Improving attendance is an essential strategy for ensuring our students are on-track to learn and succeed. In Spring ISD, we are committed to helping students and families understand that going to school every day and avoiding absences whenever possible is critical to achievement.

Here’s what the research shows:

• Attendance matters as early as kindergarten. Studies show that children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade have trouble learning to read.
• A child with too many absences by grade 6 is a good indication that the student is at risk of dropping out.
• By grade 9, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than eighth-grade test scores.
• Good attendance is an important life skill that will help students graduate from high school, college and keep a job.

Spring ISD policy, in alignment with state compulsory attendance laws, requires students to be in attendance for at least 90 percent of the time a class is in session to receive credit. Of course, the district aims for 100 percent attendance, and wants all students in class because EVERYday Counts, Attendance Matters !

What you can do:

• Make school attendance a priority
• Talk about the importance of showing up to school everyday, make that the expectation.
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety.
• Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Make sure he/she is not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school.
• Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.
• Know the school’s attendance policy – incentives and penalties.
• Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
• Check on your child’s attendance to be sure they aren’t skipping school without your knowledge.
• Ask for help from school officials, afterschool programs, other parents or other community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to student.

Source: attendanceworks.org