Parent Corner
School attendance: It matters more than you think!
New York State education law requires that all children, ages six through 16 attend school regularly. Enforcing daily attendance is the parent’s responsibility.
The importance of school attendance goes beyond simply meeting the letter of the law. In order for kids to be successful, they need to be in school and on task every day. This is more important now than ever before.
Attendance and academic achievement go hand-in-hand
The coursework in today’s middle schools is more challenging than it used to be
— and students who are frequently absent are setting themselves up for serious
academic problems.
As eighth-graders, students must take a series of important state tests that
measure their competence in English/language arts, math, science and social
studies. Students who come to school each day and work hard at their studies
fare better on these tests — showing they have the foundation necessary to do
well in high school where the stakes are even higher.
Students that score poorly on the eighth grade exams (or other key exams in
grades six and seven) receive academic intervention services. This may include
remedial classes (during and/or after school), one-on-one tutoring, summer
school classes or other support services designed to help them catch up
academically. Yet playing “catch-up” is something students should try to avoid
since it will seriously limit their high school coursework options and could
delay graduation.
The bottom line: Making sure your child goes to school every day is one of the
most powerful ways parents can ensure success — in middle school, high school
and beyond.
Some other benefits of good attendance
Making school attendance a priority can also help your child learn good work and
study habits. On average, middle schoolers have one to two hours of homework
each night. Even one missed day can mean having to tackle three or more hours of
homework the following night — practically a guarantee that kids will not be
doing their best work in their rush to just get through it all.
Getting to school each day, whether they feel like it or not, also prepares kids
to meet future, more mature responsibilities. Imagine, for example, what would
happen if your son or daughter regularly skipped college classes or was a
frequent “no show” at their future job. The same holds true for getting to
school on time. Frequent tardiness would not be tolerated in the workplace;
parents teach a valuable lesson when they teach the importance of arriving to
school on time every day.
Things families can do to ensure kids are in school and learning:
• Make academics a priority. Let your kids know that you expect them to go to
school every day and do their best while there. At this stage in their lives,
learning should be “job one.” Granted, there are the occasional sick days; but
young, healthy children rarely need to miss more than a few days each year. Talk
about the consequences of missing school in terms that will hit home for them
(e.g. having to stay after school to make up missed work, needing to attend
remedial classes, missing out on after school sports and clubs or spending time
with friends.)
• Help your child get organized. Create a space in your home for kids to store
backpacks, coats, sneakers and other necessary supplies. Develop a routine where
children help pack their own lunches and do necessary laundry the night before.
This will make the mornings less hectic and help kids get out the door and onto
the bus on time. Getting organized will create a calmer atmosphere at home,
leading to a better attitude and openness to learning when kids finally arrive
at school.
• Set reasonable bedtimes. On average, middle schoolers need about nine hours of
sleep to be healthy and alert. As they move into the teen years, kids’ brains
begin to signal them to stay up later. This is why they also want to sleep in
later the next day. However, a midnight bedtime on a school night makes the six
a.m. wake-up call tough to meet — and doesn’t give them nearly enough sleep.
Despite what nature is telling them, reinforce reasonable bedtimes for your kids
and encourage them to get up and get ready on their own. (A loud alarm clock can
be a useful tool in this effort!) A work first/play later policy (e.g. homework
before sports, activities, friends, the computer) with regard to homework can
also help make sure they’re working on homework into the wee hours when they
should be sleeping.
• Make medical and other appointments during non-school hours whenever possible.
Schedule family vacations during school holidays or the summer recess so that
students aren’t missing important lessons and struggling to make up for lost
ground.
• Keep track of your child’s absences. Excessive absences might be a sign of
other physical or emotional problems. These might be personal, such as a failed
relationship with another student or fear of being bullied. Or it might be
academic, such as a conflict with a teacher or fear of failing a test. If
absences become common, talk with your child and enlist the help of his or her
guidance counselor, teachers or pediatrician. Working as a team can help provide
a clearer picture of what’s really at the source of the attendance problem. The
one thing parents can be sure about is that teachers and administrators share
their desire to make sure students are in school and learning — and they are
ready and willing to help in that effort.
When is it okay to miss school
According to state law, allowable absences or lateness that pertain to middle school age children include: illness, serious illness or death in the family, impassable roads due to weather, religious observance, court appearances, attendance at health clinics, attending an approved work program and approved college visits. Family vacations, shopping, over-sleeping, missing a bus or ride, being needed at home or weather (too wet, too cold, too hot) are not valid reasons for absences.