Ensuring regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways to prepare students for success—both in school and in life. When school attendance is a priority, children get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behavior and have a better chance of graduating from high school.
Students who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, setting them up for a strong future.
When kids are absent for an average of just two days of school per month—even when the absences are excused– it can have a negative impact. These absences affect kids at all grades, even Kindergarten.
For example, young elementary school students who miss an average of just two school days per month often have difficulty keeping up with their peers academically and tend to fall behind in reading. But when students are able to read on grade level by the end of third grade, which is when kids transition from learning to read to reading to learn, they are three to four times more likely to graduate high school and attend college, post-graduate, or professional development classes than their peers who struggle with reading. Parent can prepare children for a lifetime of success by making regular school attendance a priority.
