I am feeling good about attendance in our schools so far this year. Overall, our district attendance is at 95%. That 95% rate is exactly the goal for districtwide student attendance stated in our strategic plan, Working together, Achieving More.
Families, the time spent talking with your children about their school attendance is an investment that will pay off. Hey, I’ve been there! It’s not always easy to get a child going in the morning. In fact, sometimes it is hard to get adults going! You can make the morning less stressful by insisting that homework be finished the night before, that all papers and supplies are organized before the child goes to bed – and that he goes to bed at an appropriate, consistent time.
Teachers, you are important mentors for the children you see daily. Tell them that attendance makes a difference in grades. Here’s a recent entry from the blog, SchoolBook, written by Robert Gebeloff about schools in New York City:
“With data from the city’s Independent Budget Office, the value of attendance can be measured more precisely. The passing rate in math for students that missed five or fewer days of school in 2009-10 was 69 percent. Students that missed six to 10 days? 55 percent. Chronically absent (21 or more days)? 28 percent.”
Wow. Those figures are important. Good attendance in school leads to better grades and will create good habits for later in life. Let’s keep them coming, on time, everyday! I am confident we will beat our banner performance of last year.
