|
 What
is chronic absenteeism? Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing
10% or more of school in an academic year which is 18 days of an
average 180-day school year which is more sick days than a teacher
gets per year.
Why is school attendance so important? School attendance is a
predictor of future success and academic achievement. Chronically
absent students have lower grades, exhibit gaps in their learning
and their social skills, and are at a higher risk of dropping out of
high school.
When students miss school, they not only miss the lesson the teacher
has prepared, but they also miss authentic conversations and
discussions that cannot be replicated. Oftentimes, these are moments
when concepts “click” for students. Therefore, students that are
chronically absent run a greater risk of falling behind academically
and often struggle with social skills like making and keeping
friends, conflict resolution, confidence, and responsibility.
Over the years, Chester-East Lincoln has tried to increase student
attendance by educating parents and students on the importance of
attending school. This all changed in 2020 with COVID and all of the
restrictions that came with the pandemic. Students were required to
quarantine for long periods of time which made it impossible to
monitor and/or improve or encourage attendance.
Since the pandemic, attendance has not improved and the number of
chronically absent students has increased, so administration and
staff felt like it was time to try something new and develop a more
concrete plan to encourage students and families to attend school
regularly. Through research and attending various workshops, the
administrators decided to implement a mentoring program to support
students with poor attendance.
All staff were invited to participate in the mentor program, but
participation was voluntary. The response was no surprise to the
administration, and more than enough teachers signed up to mentor
students. Together, the administrators met with staff to present the
program and the list of students who would benefit from mentorship.
Although some pairings were thought of ahead of time, most were made
by staff taking the lead and requesting students they had
connections with or felt led to mentor.
The mentors and students meet once a month to set goals, discuss
incentives, and address attendance barriers. Simple strategies have
been implemented to address barriers. For example, some students
have added the school phone number to their phones in case they miss
the bus (and parents are already at work), while others have set up
recurring alarms on their phones to wake them up. This allows the
older students to take responsibility and learn lifelong skills that
will promote future success.
Between the monthly meetings, mentors encourage students by leaving
them notes or checking in to let students know they care about them,
miss them when they are gone, and are continuing to cheer them on!
Since the start of the mentoring program, student attendance has
increased for a number of the students participating in the program,
and students are proud of themselves! They are seeing an improvement
in their grades, and teachers are seeing an improvement in their
attitude and willingness to participate and engage.
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The process has not only benefited the students, but
the staff has also enjoyed working with students they don’t
necessarily have in class or see daily and watching them succeed in
school.
Attendance matters, and it takes a village, but
parents play the most important role in their child’s attendance and
can support schools in these ways:
1. Setting a good routine at home for bedtime as well as in the
mornings.
2. Monitoring their children’s attendance and making sure that they
are not missing more than necessary (ex: scheduling appointments
outside of the school day).
3. Honestly and openly communicating with their child’s school about
any attendance barriers.
4. Sharing a positive attitude about school and attendance. Children
listen to their parents and mimic their parents' attitudes.
5. Setting goals as a family and making school a priority.
Chester-East Lincoln School is committed to providing a safe
environment where all students, staff, and parents feel safe,
welcome, and loved. The district’s goal is to develop
high-functioning citizens who make a positive difference in the
community in which they live.
[Ashley Aper, Chester-East Lincoln
School]
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