Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss two to four days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
Over 7 million (1 in 7) U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.
Absenteeism and its ill effects can start early. One in ten (10) kindergarten and first -grade students are chronically absent.
Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
By sixth grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student's academic performance. That's just two days a month and that is known as chronic absence.
The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences or excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to loss time in the classroom.
When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
