Why does chronic absence matter for young students?
Students who miss more school often have a harder time learning to read. Data* shows that only 65% of chronically absent students in Bellevue are reading proficiently by 3rd grade as compared to 79% for students with satisfactory attendance. For Hispanic/ Latino students the number drops steeply to 17% of chronically absent students who attain reading proficiency by 3rd grade. English language acquisition is responsible for part, but not all, of this gap.
[See our full data chart at the end of the article]
And it’s not just about reading proficiency. Making sure each child attends school regularly is critical to overall development – not only academically but also in developing social-emotional skills and creating a success path to high school and college graduation.
The problem of absenteeism starts early: 9% of kindergartners and first graders in Bellevue were chronically absent last year, with another 20% at risk of attendance problems. After dipping in late elementary, this rate tends to gradually increase again as students move through middle and high school.
At Eastside Pathways, the focus of its Attendance Collaborative has been on closing this gap. Led by Glenn Hasslinger, Supervisor of Pupil Management at Bellevue School District and Cara Ianni, Education Programs Coordinator at King County Housing Authority, the group includes other partner organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue, City of Bellevue, India Association of Western Washington, and Lake Washington School District. The mission of the collaborative is to provide opportunities, services, and support necessary to enable all children in Bellevue to attend school regularly and achieve their potential.
For the last four years, the collaborative has been running an awareness campaign that communicates the importance of all kids being in school, using the slogan, “Right Place. Right Time. Ready to Learn.” This year too, they are reaching out to the schools, teachers, parents, caregivers, and the wider community with posters and flyers to drive the message of the importance of regular school attendance and how it contributes to a student’s successful future in academics and life.
You can help us spread the word! Download the poster and share it online with your community. Also print and post it in coffee shops, retail outlets, and community centers in your neighborhood.
*Data Source: Bellevue School District. Attendance records from 2015-16 school year. Third-grade reading scores from spring 2016 Smarter Balanced assessment.
Article written by Sujata Agrawal, communications manager at Eastside Pathways