How many days has your child been absent from school over the past 4 weeks? Was it just one sick day or two? What about the day they left early for the dentist? Or the days you took off to extend a vacation? It's hard to always keep track. Show Missing a day here or there may not seem like a problem. But absences add up quickly. And these missed school days can have a
big impact on your child's learning and overall health. Missing two days a month—excused or unexcused—can add up to a child being considered chronically absent. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents to reduce unnecessary absences, learn about attendance policies where they live and prioritize getting their kids to school on time, every day (see
10 tips, below). Chronic absenteeism affects millions of students nationwide. You may think this is just high school students skipping school. But in fact, this problem starts early. According to research highlighted in the 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement, The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health, at least 10% of kindergarten and first-grade students missed a month or more of the school year. Chronic absenteeism became more common in middle school, and about 19% of all high school students were chronically absent. It is estimated that rates of chronic absenteeism may
have more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data suggests this may be especially the case for vulnerable populations such as students from low-income households. Students are chronically absent for many reasons.There are some reasons for absenteeism that cannot be avoided. The need to isolate during an infectious illness like COVID-19 continues to cause missed school days, for example. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for everyone age 6 months and older should help reduce these absences. But if your child is missing many days of school, or a few days every single month, it's important to consider the reason for the absenteeism.
Add it all up, and this creates a lot of empty desks and missed school time. Don't underestimate the harm of these school absences.Missing just two days a month of school―for any reason― can be a problem for kids in a number of ways. Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read on grade level by the third grade. For older students, being chronically absent is strongly associated with failing at school―even more than low grades or test scores. When absences add up, these students are more likely to be suspended and drop out of high school. Chronic absenteeism is also linked with teen substance use, as well as poor health as adults. Chronic absenteeism & truancy definedWhat is chronic absenteeism?Chronic absenteeism means missing too
much school—for any reason—excused or unexcused. Experts and a growing number of states define chronic absenteeism as missing 10% (or around 18 days) during a school year. What makes a student 'truant'?While chronic absenteeism measures total absences, including excused and unexcused, truancy measures only unexcused absences. The number of unexcused absences it takes for a student to be considered a "truant" differs by state. Read your school district policies and state codes on attendance. You need to stay well-informed on how many absences are allowed, and what count as excused and unexcused absences. Take any warning you receive seriously. Why? The consequences of too many absences are serious not only for students, but also for parents! Schools handle minor truancy with warning letters, parent-teacher conferences and other means. However, in some states, parents can be fined when their kids miss too much school. 10 tips to help get your child to school on time, every day
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The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. |