Attendance -- Why It Matters
Students with solid attendance are much more likely to be successful during school and after graduation.
There’s a very strong correlation between good attendance and success in school. On the other hand, students who regularly miss school are also more likely to struggle in school.
Missed days add up quickly: Just two days a month puts a child’s success in jeopardy because students fall behind and disconnect. By third grade, it gets much more difficult to catch up. Students who regularly miss school can quickly feel hopeless, and returning becomes harder and harder.
The reasons for chronic absenteeism are understandable but they must be addressed. Troubleshooting issues that are keeping a student away from school can make a difference immediately and for the long term. Students with solid attendance are much more likely to be successful during school and after graduation.
Of course, if your child is sick, they should stay home until they feel better. Please refer to our district information regarding when to keep your child home from school due to illness.
STATE EFFORTS
The Oregon Department of Education has made improving chronic absenteeism a high priority, knowing that helping to identify and solve a student’s root causes for regularly missing school is key to Oregon’s larger effort to improve high school graduation. Oregon HB 4002 provided funding to support districts in their efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism.
RESEARCH
If you are interested in understanding chronic absenteeism and its impact on a child’s success, you might appreciate the following reports: