Student Attendance Initiative
Student attendance is a crucial aspect of education, and its impact extends far beyond the classroom. Ladd School is making attendance a priority. Our goal is to work with parents to eliminate any potential barriers to student attendance and to ensure every student gets the access to instruction that they need to be successful.
Predictor of Student Outcomes:
School attendance serves as a powerful predictor of student outcomes. In fact, irregular attendance can be a better predictor of dropout rates than test scores, according to the US Department of Education.
Students who fail to complete their high school education are more likely to face challenges such as living in poverty, experiencing poor health, and becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
Long-Term Consequences:
Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of a school year) can have profound effects on a student’s education and life outcomes.
Students who consistently miss school are at risk of poorer academic performance, which can lead to long-term consequences.
Disparities in Absence Rates:
The negative impact of absenteeism is not borne equally. Students of color, those living in poverty, and those with chronic health conditions or disabilities experience disproportionately high absence rates.
Addressing absenteeism is essential to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students.
Defining Absenteeism:
Schools recognize three categories of absences:
Excused absences: Valid reasons communicated to the school by parents (e.g., illness, medical appointments, family emergencies).
Unexcused absences (truancy): Students miss school without a valid reason (e.g., deliberately skipping, oversleeping).
Disciplinary absences: Result from school suspension.
Policies and practices regarding attendance vary, making accurate and consistent data collection challenging.
In summary, regular school attendance is critical for student success, engagement, and overall well-being. It lays the foundation for future achievements and positive life outcomes. That is why we are working with families to ensure students are in regular attendance.
What Parents Can Do
Parents can make a significant impact on students when it comes to attendance. Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school—and themselves. Parents can work to build this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Making elementary school a priority will ensure that they do well in high school, college, and at work.
Before School Starts:
Help your kids keep regular bedtime and morning routines to help your child develop a habit of on-time attendance.
Make sure your child has proper physical and immunizations before school begins.
Introduce your child to their teachers and classmates before school starts to help transition by attending your school’s open house.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Have a backup plan for school transportation in case something comes up.
Establish childcare arrangements.
During the school year:
Maintain regular bedtime and morning routines to help your child develop a habit of on-time attendance.
Talk to your child about why going to school every day is important unless they are sick.
Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick.
If your child seems reluctant to go to school, talk to your child and find out the reason for their hesitation. Reach out to the school and set up a meeting with staff to problem-solve and create a plan.
When possible, avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session
Contact your child’s teacher or principal if you need support due to personal circumstances such as unstable housing, transportation, or health problems.
The staff at Ladd School are here to work with you to support your child's attendance. If you have any concerns or need support or resources, please reach out to us. We can all work together to ensure every child succeeds.