Coming to School is Cool!
Goal: Increase attendance to 95% by the end of the first semester.
Definitions
Regular attendance: Missing less than 5% of school days for any reason. For us, that means missing fewer than nine (9) days for the school year.
Chronic absenteeism: Missing 10% or more of school days. This means missing 17 or more days for the school year.
What Research Says
Poor attendance is associated with lower reading scores, higher dropout rates, higher risk of substance abuse, increase in teen pregnancy, increase in delinquent/illegal behavior, higher suicide rate, depression, and other mental illnesses.
Great attendance is associated with higher grades, higher graduation rates, increased participation in sports and other extracurricular activities, lower rates of negative outcomes including suicide, depression, teen pregnancy, and delinquent behavior.