Attendance as a Vital Sign
More than 6 million kids in the United States miss 15 or more days of school a year, leading to significant educational gaps and poor long-term health outcomes.
Regular and consistent attendance in school is critical to a child’s learning and development and may ultimately determine that child’s overall success, both in school and in life. Student well-being depends upon their ability to show up when school is in session, and it becomes a problem when absence is chronic. Chronic absence is defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason.

Students may miss school for a variety of understandable reasons, from health issues to transportation challenges to troubles at home or in their family. It’s important that teachers and staff, school leaders, parents and families, and health care providers promote the value of good attendance and do their part to address absences before students miss so much school that they fall behind.