Welcome to September! Not only does this month mark the beginning of a new school year, but also the importance of attendance. As the weather begins to cool and the light begins to fade, we all must remember the significance of regular attendance for young children.
Regular school attendance in the early years puts children on track for becoming proficient readers. The opposite is also true. Chronic absence in kindergarten is associated with lower levels of literacy in first grade and lower likelihood of grade-level reading by the end of third grade. During the 2015-16 school year, more than 64,000 North Carolina elementary school children were chronically absent, meaning students miss 10% of their scheduled school days.
Chronically absent students are found across all settings — Urban, Suburban
and Rural and often are absent due to health related issues, including a lack of preventative care. Issues connected to a child’s environment, such as housing and food insecurity, and school factors, such as safety, relationships with teachers, and bullying, can impact chronic absence as well.
- Chronic absence data can reveal that a student needs
help before test scores or grades do!- It puts the focus on early grades which is often over looked in
- It impacts learning and test scores!
- It is actionable at the school and district levels!
If you would like to learn more about ways to improve chronic absence in your area click the link here.
