A seventh grader is too tired to go to school because she stays up late playing video games. A sixth grader convinces his mom to let him skip class because of problems with a school bully. An eighth grader's family schedules a vacation to start two days before spring break begins. Whatever the reason, chronic absenteeism puts a child's academic performance and high school graduation at greater risk. Educators need to make it clear to students and parents that every day matters.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a given year, or about 18 days, affects the educational outcomes of nearly 7.5 million U.S. students. Research shows that the negative effects of absenteeism begin to take hold even in the early years. According to a report by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools, chronic absenteeism begins to rise during middle school, and continues to grow as school years progress. As early as sixth grade, missing 18 or more days of school in a year puts a child's high school graduation at risk. Being absent for just two days every month of the school year can allow a child to fall behind, increasing the likelihood of dropping out.
Students with regular attendance are more likely to read well by the critical third-grade milestone, score higher on standardized tests, graduate high school, and go on to college than students who are chronically absent.
Chronic absenteeism creates huge obstacles for a student's current and future success. What our students do today will impact them for years to come. We only have 44 school days left this year. Let's work together to inspire and motivate our students to attend school and to work hard for the next two months. School starts promptly at 8:00, so please have your students at school so they can be ready to learn by 8:00.
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