3 Facts About School Attendance:
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator of being at risk to drop out of high school.
- When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects.
The pandemic has shown that attendance at school is critical to student learning. Chronic absences increase learning gaps and cause vulnerable students to fall further behind. Our attendance rate this year is far below our normal average. We are asking parents to help get their students to school.
Here are the ways that Eden CISD is managing student absences:
Track daily attendance for all students - campus personnel will call parents daily about students who are absent.
Monitor frequent absences - State law requires students to be in class 90% of the school year to get credit for courses. Our administrative team tracks attendance each month.
Attendance committee meetings - The attendance committee is made up of teachers, the counselor, and the principal. Once a student goes over the limit, this committee can meet to determine what help the student needs and how to get that student back on track. Extenuating circumstances can be taken into account when looking at a child's attendance record.
Early warnings and intervention - Mrs. Briley will send home letters to let parents know when their child is at risk of going over their absence limit. Opportunities for Saturday school and flex days can allow students to get caught up.
Last resorts - If the previous strategies don't work, then students can be denied credit for the school year, which puts them at risk of not graduating on time. Or, truancy charges can be filed against a parent.
For more information about the impact of attendance on your child's education, visit attendanceworks.org.
Misty Gandy
Eden CISD Superintendent