Every day matters when it comes to school attendance. When a student is absent for any reason for two or more school days per month, they miss ten percent of learning time in the school year.
This is known as Chronic Absenteeism.
The educational ripple effect of a kindergarten student being chronically absent can lead to being less likely to read proficiently by the third grade. This puts the student at a higher risk of failing classes in middle school and less likely to graduate high school. The academic impacts of chronic absenteeism can affect the entire classroom, and we know the greatest impact is on students who are growing up in poverty, as their families are least likely to have the resources able to make up for valuable time lost learning.
United Way of Treasure Valley is tackling the issue of Chronic Absenteeism in partnership with national experts Attendance Works and local school districts because we know it can be significantly reduced once it is identified. By offering high-quality training to teams of educators and expanding awareness of this issue, United Way of Treasure Valley has helped at-risk students gain attendance mentors. Mentors can be there to check in with a student and family, offer connections to resources when needed, and celebrate improvements in attendance plus academic victories.
This year, we are partnering to support the Caldwell Schools District's Every Day Matters Attendance Campaign. An Attendance Campaign can help spread awareness of the issue by giving school staff, students, families, and community partners common understanding and commit to making daily school attendance a priority. We know that effective strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism both involve and benefit the entire community.
Join us this September in sharing the message that Every Day Matters! If you’d like to know more about Caldwell School District’s Attendance Campaign or about the issue in general and how to get involved with your local schools contact Hayley Regan at hregan@unitedwaytv.org