Attendance
Attendance is vitally important to a student's success in school. Absent students can fall behind in their schoolwork and miss valuable learning opportunities.
Under state law, parents/guardians can excuse a student from school – with advance notice – for up to 10 days per school year (Wisconsin Statute 118.15).
· School functions (field trips,sporting events, etc.) do not count toward the 10 days.
· Absences due to illness or medical appointments also do not count toward the 10 days, as long as you provide documentation from the health-care provider regarding the specific days/times missed.
We use Skyward emails (beginning with 2 unexcused absences or 5 excused absences), phone calls, home visits, and truancy citations, as appropriate.
If you find that your family is struggling with attendance for any reason, please reach out so we can work on solutions with you:
· PHS: Associate Principal Andy Novak, anovak@plymouth.k12.wi.us, 920-893-6911
· Riverview: Assistant Principal Matt Bertram, mbertram@plymouth.k12.wi.us, 920-892-4353
· Fairview: Principal Nick O'Malley, nomalley@plymouth.k12.wi.us, 920-892-2621
· Horizon: Principal Matt Mueller, mmueller@plymouth.k12.wi.us, 920-892-2225
· Parkview: Principal Todd Hunt, thunt@plymouth.k12.wi.us, 920-892-4076
Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow!
Good school attendance means:PRESCHOOLERS build skills and develop good habits for showing up on time
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS read well by the end of third grade
HIGH SCHOOLERS stay on track for graduation
COLLEGE STUDENTS earn their degrees
WORKERS succeed in their jobs
Too many absences—excused or unexcused—can keep students from succeeding in school and in life. How many are too many? 10% of the school year—that’s 18 missed days or 2 days a month—can knock students off track.
Attendance in the early grades
Many of our youngest students miss 10 percent of the school year—about 18 days a year or just two days every month. Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten, and even preK, can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades, especially if the problem persists for more than a year. Do you know how many young children are chronically absent in your school or community?
Who Is Affected
Kindergarten and 1st grade classes often have absenteeism rates as high as those in high school. Many of these absences are excused, but they still add up to lost time in the classroom.
1 in 10 kids in kindergarten and 1st grade are chronically absent. In some schools, it’s as high as 1 in 4.1.
2 in 10 low-income kids miss too much school. They’re also more likely to suffer academically.
4.5 in 10 homeless kids are chronically absent.
4 in 10 transient kids miss too much school when families move.
Why It Matters
If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers.
Preliminary data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade.
Who Can Read on Grade Level After 3rd Grade?
64% of kids with good attendance in K and 1st (missed 9 or fewer days both years
43% of kids with at-risk attendance (missed more than 9 days both years
41% of kids chronically absent in K or 1st (missed 18 or more days one year)
17% of kids chronically absent in K and 1st (missed 18 or more days both years
What We Can Do
Engage Families: Many parents and students don’t realize how quickly early absences can add up to academic trouble. Community members and teachers can educate families and build a culture of attendance through early outreach, incentives and attention to data.
Fix Transportation: The lack of a reliable car, or simply missing the school bus, can mean some students don’t make it to class. Schools, transit agencies and community partners can organize car pools, supply bus passes or find other ways to get kids to school.
Address Health Needs: Health concerns, particularly asthma and dental problems, are among the leading reasons students miss school in the early grades. Schools and medical professionals can work together to give children and families health care and advice.
Track the Right Data: Schools too often overlook chronic absence because they track average attendance or unexcused absences, not how many kids miss too many days for any reason. Attendance Works has free data-tracking tools. These are a few steps that communities and schools can take. How do you think you can help.