Chronic Absenteeism for Families
Attendance matters as early as kindergarten. Children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade often struggle academically in later years and have trouble mastering reading by the end of third grade. These early years are a good time to start building the habit of good attendance. By middle and high school, chronic absence, which represents lost instructional time for students, serves as a leading warning sign that a student may drop out.
With this in mind, chronic absenteeism is one of several indicators on the new Oklahoma School Report Card. This new report card is designed to give parents and community members an annual snapshot of student learning, progress, and achievement.
What is chronic absenteeism?
Chronic absenteeism is lost instructional time for students. It affects student academic achievement, graduation, and success later in life.
A student is considered chronically absent after missing 10 percent or more of school days. This includes both excused and unexcused absences. Missing 10 percent of school days would be approximately 18 days in a normal 180-day school calendar - just two days per month.
Over the course of a child's entire education, chronic absenteeism can have serious effects on academic outcomes.
Why is it important?
Before beginning, it's important to understand chronic absenteeism. Watch the video below to gain a better understanding of chronic absenteeism and see what parents can o to prevent chronic absence.
Original Bringing Attendance Home_ Parent Video from N.A.K. Production Associates on Vimeo.
Create a plan.
First, visit your local school and district websites to find current tardy and absence policies.
Next, visit the school's parent portal to see your child's current attendance record, and then visit with your child's teacher or principal about your child's attendance so they can know how to help you.
Talk with your child, family, and friends to discuss ways you can help prevent chronic absence from home. Start small by sticking to a regular bedtime and morning routine, before tackling more complicated issues such as social issues in school.
View the following handouts for a more comprehensive list of ideas on how to support your child's attendance.
If your child has chronic or ongoing health issues, talk to the school or district about a health plan. There are resources in every district to help with more serious health issues.
Celebrate your success!
Connect on our social media to share your success stories and ideas. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, post your success stories on our Facebook page, and use the hashtag #AttendingOK.
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