School attendance: you've got to be in it to win it

Everyone knows you can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. Or as they say, "You’ve got to be in it to win it."

Well, the same philosophy applies to passing Regents exams. In this case, the "ticket" to success for many students is simply coming to school on a regular basis.

Indeed, a recent study by one large district showed that students who attended school 93% of the time or better scored 85 to 100 on their exams. Students with a 91% attendance rate scored 65 to 84, and students with attendance of 85% or less scored 0 to 54.

Teachers will tell you that learning happens when you engage students with ideas, allow them to interact intellectually with other students, and provide them with support and direction. This is not something that can occur in a make-up class or when the student is at home alone.  [top]

The state is weighing in

Good attendance is proving to be so critical that the New York State Board of Regents is looking to establish stricter school attendance guidelines.

As of 2004, there was only one state mandate: students between ages six and 16 must attend school. Nothing in the law says how often they must be there. However, districts must report daily attendance to the state—a number that determines how much state aid they get. Beyond that, it is up to each district to set its own attendance rules.

In light of national statistics showing that 10% to 19% of school children are absent without excuse on any given day, state officials are considering some changes. For example, they are looking at requiring secondary schools to take attendance not just at the beginning of the day but on a period-by-period basis and report it to the state.

It’s this last part that would be new. In most high schools, teachers do take attendance in each class, but that information stays within the district. Essentially, the state would be telling schools that it’s no longer good enough that your overall daily attendance is 94% to 95%. You need to achieve that level of attendance in every class.

The state also would require districts to set up firm attendance policies. While not dictating the content of those policies, the state would encourage schools to look at such ideas as factoring attendance into student grades and establishing minimum attendance requirements as a condition of course credit.  [top]

What parents can do

There are many reasons why a high school student might "skip" school or "cut" a class, even when penalties are attached. It might be personal, such as a failed relationship with another student or a fear of being bullied. Or it might be academic, such as a conflict with a teacher or a fear of failing a test. Whatever it is, parents are encouraged to ask the principal or a guidance counselor for help. The one thing parents can be sure of is that teachers and administrators share their desire to ensure students are in school.

In some cases, parents themselves will sanction an illegal absence – e.g., to take a family vacation or to care for a sibling. There are also times when parents allow their child to "take a day off" on the belief that an absence here and there won’t hurt.

But even the occasional class-cutter runs the risk of missing that one critical class that will make a difference in his/her grades. And once a student starts to fall behind, it becomes easier to miss more classes, producing a pattern that’s detrimental to success.

Educators stress that good attendance not only brings better test scores. It also leads to better learning every day!  [top]