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New York State education law requires that
all children, ages six through 16, attend school regularly.
Making sure that they are there each day is the parent's
responsibility.
However, the importance of school attendance goes beyond meeting
the letter of the law. In order for kids to be successful, they
need to be in school and on task every day. This is more
important now than ever before.
Attendance and academic achievement go
hand-in-hand
The coursework in today's middle schools is simply more
challenging than it used to be—and students who are frequently
absent are setting themselves up for serious academic problems.
As eighth-graders, students must take a series of important
state tests that measure their abilities in English/language
arts, math, science and social studies. Students who come to
school each day and work hard at their studies fare better on
these tests—showing they have the foundation necessary to do
well in high school where the stakes are even higher.
Students who score poorly on the eighth grade exams (or other
key exams in grades six and seven) receive academic intervention
services. This may include remedial classes, one-on-one
tutoring, summer school classes or other services to help them
catch up academically. Yet playing "catch-up" is something
students should try to avoid since it will seriously limit their
high school coursework options and could delay graduation.
The bottom line: Making sure your child is at school every day
is one of the most powerful ways parents can ensure success—in
middle school, high school and beyond.
Other benefits of good attendance
Making school attendance a priority can also help your child
learn good work and study habits. On average, middle schoolers
have one to two hours of homework each night. Even one missed
day can mean having to tackle three or more hours of homework
the following night—practically a guarantee that kids will not
be doing their best work in their rush to just get through it
all.
Getting to school each day, whether they feel like it or not,
also prepares kids to meet future, responsibilities. Imagine,
for example, what would happen if your son or daughter regularly
skipped college classes or was a frequent "no show" at a future
job. The same holds true for getting to school on time. Frequent
tardiness would not be tolerated in the workplace; parents teach
a valuable lesson when they teach the importance of arriving to
school on time every day.
Things families can do to ensure kids
are in school and learning:
- Make academics a priority.
Let your kids know that you expect them to go to school every
day and do their best while there. At this stage in their
lives, learning should be "job one." Granted, there are the
occasional sick days, but young, healthy children rarely need
to miss more than a few days each year. Talk about the
consequences of missing school in terms that will hit home for
them (e.g., having to stay after school to make up missed
work, needing to attend remedial classes, missing out on after
school sports and clubs or time with friends.)
- Help your child get organized.
Create a space in your home for kids to store backpacks,
coats, sneakers and other supplies. Develop a routine where
children help pack their own lunches and do necessary laundry
the night before. This will make mornings less hectic and help
kids get out the door and onto the bus on time. Getting
organized can also help create a calmer atmosphere at home,
leading to better attitudes and openness to learning when kids
arrive at school.
- Set reasonable bedtimes.
On average, middle schoolers need about nine hours of
sleep to be healthy and alert. As they move into the teen
years, kids' brains begin to signal them to stay up later.
This is why they also want to sleep in later the next day.
However, a midnight bedtime on a school night makes the six
a.m. wake-up call tough to meet - and doesn't give them nearly
enough sleep. Despite what nature is telling them, reinforce
reasonable bedtimes for your kids and encourage them to get up
and get ready on their own. (A loud alarm clock can be a
useful tool in this effort!) A work first/play later policy
(e.g. homework before sports, activities, friends, the
computer) with regard to homework can also help make sure
they're not working on homework into the wee hours when they
should be sleeping.
- Make medical and other
appointments during non-school hours whenever possible.
Schedule family vacations during school holidays or the summer
recess so that students aren't missing important lessons and
struggling to make up for lost ground.
- Keep track of your child's
absences. Excessive absences might be a sign of
other physical or emotional problems. These might be personal,
such as a failed relationship with another student or fear of
being bullied. Or it might be academic, such as a conflict
with a teacher or fear of failing a test. If absences become
common, talk with your child and enlist the help of his or her
guidance counselor, teachers or pediatrician. Working as a
team can help provide a clearer picture of what's really at
the source of the attendance problem.
For permission to reprint this article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518) 786-3263 or email us at
dbushsuf@gw.neric.org.
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