ALABAMA ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH
Attendance Awareness Month resources at: https://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/promotional-materials/
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE QUICK FACTS
“School attendance is a powerful predictor of student outcomes. Many states define chronic absenteeism as the percentage of students who miss 10 percent or more of days during the school year (or two days per month).”
1. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Nationally, half of students who miss 2-4 days of school in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
2. Over 8 million U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.
3. Absenteeism and its ill effects can start early. Nationally, one in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent.
4. Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade.
5. By 6th grade chronic absence becomes a leading indicator if students will drop out of high school.
6. Research shows missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance - just two days a month.
7. The academic impact of missing school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused (in the traditional classroom or during remote/online learning). Suspensions also add to lost time in the classroom. Approximately 85% of students who drop out of high school nationally were chronically absent – often predictable, as soon as the third grade.
8. When students improve their class attendance, they improve their academic prospects and chances of graduating on time.
9. Attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and provide mentors for chronically absent students.
10.States must continue to look at all the right data to improve school attendance.
11. Of the 14.7 million students chronically absent nationwide, nearly 5.3 million live in cities, 5.1 million in suburbs, nearly 2.6 million live in rural areas, and 1.5 million live in towns - https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/PR_Demographic_analysis_of_National_Data_111723.pdf
12. Chronic absenteeism affects students from all areas! Reviewing and lowering absences and assisting parents with school attendance questions can help keep students moving forward toward success and high school graduation!
More great information available at www.attendanceworks.org