A districtwide initiative is underway to expand proactive interventions and comprehensive supports for chronic student absence from school.
Additionally, the Indiana Department of Education is working alongside school districts across the state to affirm the need for strong student attendance in school.
These efforts are underway because there is significant research indicating that chronic absenteeism negatively impacts student achieveme 08142019bc superintendent’s corner nt and graduation from high school.
This initiative is aligned with our commitment to the community that students will graduate from Brown County High School with five competencies: social/emotional wellness, communication, work ethic, innovation and engagement.
We know that strong student attendance helps students feel better about school while simultaneously increasing their own confidence to complete school work. Achieving strong school attendance is building a positive habit for both the student and the parents/guardians. By maintaining a habit of going to school on time and every day, students are building skills that will set them up for success across their lifetime.
We completely understand that some absences from school are unavoidable due to health conditions or other circumstances. However, it is important for our families to know that when students miss many days of school, they are at risk to fall behind.
The Indiana Department of Education indicates that warning signs for chronic absence issues are when students miss 10 to 17 days of school over an entire school year. Chronic absence status is determined when students miss 18 or more school days.
Eighteen school days translates into a student missing two days of school every month. Eighteen school days also means missing 3½ weeks of school.
The Indiana Department of Education’s state attendance officer recently issued a letter to parents/guardians across the state regarding the need for strong student attendance. In that letter, the following data points were shared:
Children chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of third grade.
By sixth grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school.
By ninth grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than eighth-grade test scores.
Brown County Schools changed our attendance policies this year to better support student attendance. These procedures are outlined in the student handbooks so parents can read them in their entirety.
One of the most significant changes is the deployment of an attendance monitoring team (AMT) in each school building. This team will meet monthly to review student attendance and will serve as the primary point of contact for students who miss school. The team will contact parents/guardians when their students begin missing school and will meet with parents/guardians to discuss strategies for improvement.
Successful strategies for families to use to assist with positive school attendance are fairly simple, but carry significant impact.
When parents/guardians talk to their children about how it is important to go to school every day and make attendance at school an expectation, students see value in showing up.
When consistent routines for bedtime and wake up are maintained, this translates into easier mornings and increased vitality for the school day.
Additionally, it is important for parents/guardians to commit to scheduling their child’s medical and other appointments outside of the school day.
We are here to help families increase student attendance. If there are issues taking place at school that are making your child not want to attend school, we promise to work together to address those issues.
Additionally, if there are any needs at home, we have the ability to connect families to a variety of resources for support.
The school year 2019-2020 promises to be a great one. We look forward to making every day meaningful and important for all of our students so they may be actively engaged in their learning.
Attendance matters. By being present every day, our students will graduate “ready” for their next step. Let’s work together to realize that end!
Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
