Every Day Matters isn’t just a slogan, it’s a fundamental truth about education. Every school day is a building block to the next. The absence of these building blocks creates holes in learning that may cause a student to fall behind and impact their readiness for the next grade level. Read on to learn about the potentially devastating effects of chronic absenteeism and the benefits of making a habit of attending every school day.
READINESS FOR SCHOOL AND LIFE
It is important to recognize that a habit of attendance is not only a school readiness skill but a life skill. Consistent, on-time attendance creates a discipline that carries into adulthood. Conversely, allowing students to miss school in the early grades may teach them that such behavior is acceptable in later grades.
EARLY YEARS
Children who are consistently absent in their early years—preschool, kindergarten, and first grade—are significantly less likely to read at grade level by the third grade, a critical milestone in academic development. Proficiency in reading by this stage is a key predictor of a student’s future success.
LATER YEARS
A study of public school students in Utah found that a chronic absenteeism in even a single year between 8th and 12th grade was associated with a 7-fold increase in the likelihood of the student dropping out of high school.
LIFELONG IMPACT
Chronically absent students are more likely to experience challenges such as poverty, diminished health, and involvement in the criminal justice system.
FACTS ABOUT ABSENTEEISM
Missing school is about more than missing one day, it is something that – when it becomes chronic – has long term implications not only on a student’s education but their success after school:
- Absenteeism is a multi-layered issue with contributing factors such as transportation, homelessness and poverty.
- Missing school in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year, with half of the students who miss 2-4 days in September going on to miss nearly a month of school.
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
- When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.