Attendance Matters to Academic Performance

School every day - it adds up

Studies show children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade can struggle academically in later years. They often have trouble mastering reading by the end of third grade.

By middle and high school, chronic absence is a leading warning sign that a student will drop out.

Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% of school days...that's only two days a month.

If your student is going to be absent from school, communicate with the school in advance. An academic plan may be needed to keep your student on track.

While attendance is very important, please keep your child home if they are truly sick. See the Too Sick for School? page for more information.

Parents and guardians can help support regular attendance by:

  • Avoiding extended vacations that require your children to miss school.
  • Trying to line up vacations and doctor’s appointments with the school’s schedule.
  • Setting a regular bedtime and morning routine allowing for 9 to 11 hours of sleep for younger students and 8 to 10 hours of sleep for older students.
  • Laying out clothes and packing backpacks the night before to make your morning routines run more smoothly.

Attendance questions and answers