School Attendance
Attending school matters, starting with the very first day of kindergarten.
Students who are chronically absent—who miss 2 days of school a month, or 18 days a year—in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by third grade.
Students who can’t read at grade level by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
Students who are chronically absent in any year between eighth and twelfth grade are seven times more likely to drop out. And by high school, chronic absenteeism is a better predictor of dropping out than low test scores.
Contact your school for help if transportation or other issues are keeping your child from getting to school every day. And take the pledge to go to school or get your children to school every day unless they’re sick.
Download and print a student pledge form with a list of rewards for each month of on-time attendance (i.e. a trip to the park or movies, favorite foods for dinner, etc.).
Download and print a school year calendar to post on the refrigerator and track attendance. See sidebar for school district calendars.
