September is Utah attendance awareness month

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Improving attendance, along with addressing the gap in school readiness and reducing summer learning loss, is a key component of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading comprehensive approach to improving third-grade reading. As many as 7.5 million U.S. students are chronically absent each year, meaning they will miss 10 percent of the school year or nearly a month of school. These absences whether they are excused, unexcused or for disciplinary reasons add up to academic trouble and reduce the likelihood a student will graduate from high school.
Poor attendance habits are often acquired early and can leave children unable to master reading by the end of third grade, setting them up for academic struggles later: one in 10 kindergartners and first graders are chronically absent, national research shows.
As early as pre-K and kindergarten, chronic absence is associated with children being unable to read well by the end of third grade, according to studies from Chicago and California. This is especially true if chronic absence persists for more than one year.
In Oakland, Calif., an analysis conducted by attendance works found chronic absence in first grade predicted later chronic absence, poor academic performance and higher suspension rates in sixth grade.
Chronic absence is one of the first warning signs a student is headed off track for high school graduation: as early as sixth grade absenteeism can predict whether a student will drop out. Other early indicators include poor grades in core courses and behavior leading to suspensions. Even students who miss 10 days a year are less likely to graduate and less likely to enroll in college. A statewide study in Utah found a student who is chronically absent in any year between eighth and 12th grade is 7.4 times more likely to drop out.
Many parents and students are unaware of the connection between excessive absenteeism and achievement: Ad Council focus groups found parents worry about skipping school but not about the impact of excused absences for illness, family vacations or emergencies.
A get schooled survey found more than 80 percent of students who skip school once a week believe it is unlikely they will fall behind in class. Many families don’t realize attendance starting as early as preschool matters. Research by the University of Chicago found attendance was better for children whose parents understood the importance of regularly attending preschool.
Chronic absence is a solvable problem when schools and communities work together: present, engaged and accounted for found chronic absence can be reduced when schools, community agencies and families work together to build a habit of attendance and reduce barriers to getting to school.
According to a Johns Hopkins study, positive support, particularly mentoring relationships, prove especially successful at reducing chronic absence. The study also showed New York City students who ceased to be chronically absent improved their grade point averages and were more likely to remain in school three years later compared to chronically absent peers.