Recognize good and improved attendance. Engage Students and parents. Monitor attendance data and practice. Provide personalized early outreach. Develop programmatic response to barriers (as needed)

DID YOU KNOW?

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.

• Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.

• Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.

• Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

• Make school attendance a priority

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school everyday, make that the expectation.

• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

• Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety.

• Help your child stay engaged

• Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.

• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.

• Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.

• Communicate with the school and Know the school’s attendance policy

• Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.

• Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.

• Ask for help from school officials, afterschool programs, other parents or community agencies if you're having trouble getting your child to school.