A saying goes, ‘80% of success in life is just showing up. In my observation as an educator and a parent of a grown adult, I have seen that students who have the habit of showing up on time achieve their goals and live happier lives. 

If showing up at school leads to more success and happiness, what are the effects of not showing up or poor school attendance? First, many parents may not realize how often their child is absent from school. A missed day here and there may not seem like a big deal compared to missing several days in a row. But missing just two days a month can add up to a child being considered chronically absent (considered chronically absent is when a student misses 18 days of school). Chronic absences keep kids from getting the consistent daily direct interaction and instruction they need to build academic skills. For kids with learning and thinking differences, there’s something else to consider: Frequent absences not only mean less teaching, but also missed opportunities for intervention, re-teaching, and enrichment.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Poor attendance has severe implications for later outcomes in life. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates. Students who eventually dropped out of high school missed significantly more days of school in first grade than their peers who graduated from high school. 

What can parents do to help to improve school attendance? Attendance Works  (https://www.attendanceworks.org has the following suggestions: 

• Make school attendance a priority. 
• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety.
• Help your child stay engaged.
• Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from mistreatment. Make sure students are not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school. 
• Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you. 
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.  
• Check on your child's attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
• Ask for help from school officials, after-school programs, other parents, or community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.

We all know that the COVID-19 Pandemic has caused many students to miss school, which we cannot change, but we can change what we will do in the future. Showing up on time to school is essential to your child’s future. Please contact your child’s school if you would like assistance with ideas and strategies to maximize your child’s attendance.