Despite an extensive list of interventions aimed at improving student attendance during the 2016-2017 school year and 2017-2018 school year, attendance continues to be an area of great concern, as our attendance percentage is 93.88%. Overall, 66% of our school population has missed at least 5 days of school during the 2017-2018 academic year. Additionally, for multiple reasons beyond personal illness, 41% of our students are considered excessively absent and have missed at least 10 days during that time frame.

There are many contributing factors to our attendance issue. Since many of our students walk to school, weather impacts their attendance. In addition, the crime rate in the school neighborhood prohibits many of our students from walking to school. Therefore, a lack of transportation negatively impacts attendance. Some families struggle to overcome the many barriers which often accompany poverty. In addition to lack of transportation, insufficient funds to meet basic household obligations or housing itself, mental health challenges, and employment instability, may result in a lack of routines and structure within the home.  These barriers may add challenges for parents to follow the school schedule. leading to absenteeism and a high rate of tardiness. Student attendance is also impacted by chronic head lice, which plagues some households in our school community.  [Indicators 5, 6, 10]

Daily school attendance is necessary for school success. It has been well documented that attendance in elementary school is a reliable indicator of graduation rates among our students. Each absence results in missed instruction which leads to learning gaps for our students. Students with excessive absences or tardiness struggle to maintain their academic skills. As a school community we recognize the impact that poor attendance has on student success. Students who begin school as struggling learners continue to struggle without a consistent supportive academic program. To improve the likelihood of our students successfully graduating from high school, we work closely with our designated Pupil Personnel Worker; and continue to work diligently to improve the daily attendance. [Indicators 1, 5, 6, 10]

One of our biggest events to reward students who have missed fewer than 8 days of school is the annual Carnival. Despite encouraging parents to sign an attendance contract and heavily promoting the carnival and other weekly and quarterly incentives, chronic attendance issues continue to be a problem. At Park Elementary our work to improve attendance also includes social supports for families so that when our students are healthy, they are able to attend school. [Indicators 1, 10]

Back to Park Elementary - Challenges to Student Success