ATTENDANCE in the early grades

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1 ATTENDANCE in the early grades Many of our youngest students miss 10 percent of the school year about 18 days a year or just two days every month. Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten, and even prek, can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades, especially if the problem persists for more than a year. Do you know how many young children are chronically absent in your school or community? Who Is Affected Kindergarten and 1st grade classes often have absenteeism rates as high as those in high school. Many of these absences are excused, but they still add up to lost time in the classroom. 1 in 10 kids in kindergarten and 1st grade are chronically absent. In some schools, it s as high as 1 in 4. 1 Why It Matters If children don t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Preliminary data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade. What We Can Do Engage Families Many parents and students don t realize how quickly early absences can add up to academic trouble. Community members and teachers can educate families and build a culture of attendance through early outreach, incentives and attention to data. Who Can Read on Grade Level After 3rd Grade? 3 Fix Transportation 64% of kids with good attendance in K and 1st (missed 9 or fewer days both years) S CHO OL BUS The lack of a reliable car, or simply missing the school bus, can mean some students don t make it to class. Schools, transit agencies and community partners can organize car pools, supply bus passes or find other ways to get kids to school. 43% Address Health Needs 2 in 10 low-income kids miss too much school. They re also more likely to suffer academically in 10 homeless kids are chronically absent. 2 4 in 10 transient kids miss too much school when families move. 2 of kids with at-risk attendance (missed more than 9 days both years) 41% of kids chronically absent in K or 1st (missed 18 or more days one year) Health concerns, particularly asthma and dental problems, are among the leading reasons students miss school in the early grades. Schools and medical professionals can work together to give children and families health care and advice. Track the Right Data 17% of kids chronically absent in K and 1st (missed 18 or more days both years) Schools too often overlook chronic absence because they track average attendance or unexcused absences, not how many kids miss too many days for any reason. Attendance Works has free data-tracking tools. 1 Chang, Hedy; Romero, Mariajose, Present, Engaged and Accounted For: The Critical Importance of Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades, National Center for Children in Poverty: NY: NY, September Chronic Absence in Utah, Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah, To download a copy of this infographic, please visit 3 Attendance in Early Elementary Grades: Association with Student Characteristics, School Readiness and Third Grade Outcomes, Applied Survey Research. May These are a few steps that communities and schools can take. How do you think you can help? Joanna Shieh The Hatcher Group

2 Chronic Absence: A Hidden National Crisis Nationwide, as many as 10-15% of students (7.5 million) miss nearly a month of school every year. That s 135 million days of lost time in the classroom. In some cities, as many as one in four students are missing that much school in K-12 settings. Emerging studies suggest chronic absence is even higher in prek. Chronic absenteeism is a red alert that students are headed for academic trouble and eventually for dropping out of high school. Poor attendance isn t just a problem in high school. It can start as early as kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. 1

3 Students with more years of chronic absenteeism, starting in prek have lower 2 nd grade scores 2 Some risk At risk * Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p<.05 level; **p<.01; ***p<.001

4 Students Chronically Absent in Kindergarten and 1 st Grade are Much Less Likely to Read Proficiently in 3 rd Grade 100% Percent Students Scoring Proficient or Advanced on 3 rd Grade ELA Based on Attendance in Kindergarten and in 1 st Grade 80% 60% 64% 40% 43% 41% 20% 17% 0% No attendance risks Small attendance risks Moderate attendance risks High attendance risks No risk Small risk Moderate risk High risk Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1 st Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1 st Missed 5-9% of days in 1 year &10 % in 1 year Missed 10% or more in K & 1 st Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011) 3

5 The Long-Term Impact of Chronic Kindergarten Absence is Most Troubling for Poor Children 5 th Grade Math and Reading performance by K attendance for children living In poverty. Academic performance was lower even if attendance had improved in 3 rd grade. 52 Average Academic Performance % in K % in K % in K >=10.0% in K Absence Rate in Kindergarten Reading Math Source: ECLS-K data analyzed by National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) Note: Average academic performance reflects results of direct cognitive assessments conducted for ECLS-K. 4

6 Multiple Years of Elementary Chronic Absence = Worse Middle School Outcomes Each year of chronic absence in elementary school is associated with a substantially higher probability of chronic absence in 6 th grade 18.0x Increase in probability of 6 th grade chronic absence 5.9x 7.8x Chronic absence in 1 st grade is also associated with: Lower 6 th grade test scores Higher levels of suspension Years of Chronic Absence in Grades 1-5 Oakland Unified School District SY , Analysis By Attendance Works 5

7 The Effects of Chronic Absence on Dropout Rates Are Cumulative With every year of chronic absenteeism, a higher percentage of students dropped out of school. 6

8 Poor Attendance Is A Problem Across Income; But Even More Important For Students In Poverty Presentation to: The Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap November 7, 2013, CT State Dept of Education. 7

9 Debunking the Myths about School Attendance Myth 1: Attending Kindergarten Regularly Doesn t Really Matter Myth 2: We don t need to worry about large number of students missing school until middle or high school. Myth 3: Most school already monitor when students are chronically absent.. Myth 4: Because families are ultimately responsible for children getting to class, there s not much schools can do to improve attendance..

10 Why Are Students Chronically Absent? Myths Absences are only a problem if they are unexcused Sporadic versus consecutive absences aren t a problem Barriers Lack of access to health care Poor transportation Aversion Child struggling academically Lack of engaging instruction Poor school climate and ineffective school discipline Attendance only matters in the older grades No safe path to school Parents had negative school experience 9

11 Going to School Every Day Reflects Hope for a better future + Faith that school will help you or your child succeed + Capacity Resources, skills, knowledge needed to get to school 10

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