September is Attendance Awareness Month, an opportunity to rally schools, districts, and communities around the importance of regular attendance and its role in student well-being, health, and academic achievement. The Attendance Awareness Month campaign is spearheaded by Attendance Works, along with 10 national nonprofit organizations. Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools is a proud sponsor of the campaign.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as any student missing 10% or more of school for any reason. It has become a national crisis, with data showing that absences nearly doubled by the end of the 2021-22 school year. While absence rates are gradually declining overall, they remain extraordinarily high and still affect nearly 1 out of 4 students.
There are many reasons why a student may be chronically absent — health issues are key factors. Physical and mental health challenges, such as asthma, anxiety, or unmet oral health needs are the most common contributors to health-related school absences. Students with ADHD, autism, or developmental delays are also more likely to be chronically absent compared to kids without these conditions.
Research shows that children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read proficiently by the end of third grade. By middle and high school, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign that a student will drop out. Chronically absent students also miss out on developmental milestones and opportunities to learn skills such as socializing, problem-solving, and self-regulation, all of which are needed to grow, learn, and succeed with personal and career aspirations.
The impact of so many students missing so much school has made learning more challenging, not just for the students who are chronically absent, but also for those who attend school regularly. Turnover of students in the classroom makes it harder for educators to teach and establish classroom norms as the learning curves for students differ between chronically absent students and students who are in regular attendance.
While every school day counts, the start of each school year presents an opportunity to lift up an urgent issue: When a child becomes chronically absent, they can be headed off-track for college and career.
This September, the Attendance Awareness Campaign theme is Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow! It reminds the school community — students, parents, educators, and staff — of the connection between regular school attendance and being able to realize hopes and dreams. It highlights the role that school plays in promoting student well-being and achievement, as well as building community and strengthening the workforce of future generations. Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow! is a call to action for everyone to focus and commit to efforts that ensure students show up to school consistently, even when it isn’t easy.
Schools, districts, and communities across the country are raising awareness about the critical problem of missing too many days and encouraging action to improve attendance and engagement. Spark SF Public Schools, in partnership with San Francisco Unified School District, launched Be Here! a 6-week social media PSA campaign with weekly attendance and belonging themes. In New Orleans, Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools, Fateama Fulmore released a short video sharing what’s in store for students and families in the new school year.
Excellent examples of state campaigns include Connecticut’s School Is Better with You!; Massachusetts’s School Is Where We Belong; and Rhode Island’s Attendance Matters RI.
Want to join in? Here are some ways you can participate in the Attendance Awareness Month campaign and help combat chronic absence year-round:
- Share handouts with tips for staying healthy and when a sick child can return to school.
- Utilize these educator resources for home visits that build meaningful partnerships between families and schools.
- Monitor chronic absence data to identify which and how many students require some form of early intervention. Attendance Works offers free data tools designed specifically for schools and school districts to track chronic absence.
To learn more about how chronic absence impacts student achievement, find strategies and downloadable resources, or learn how you can launch your own campaign, visit www.attendanceworks.org
