Late winter — with colds, extended family vacations, and general fatigue — is a peak period for school absenteeism. How can schools best combat that problem?
They’re certainly trying — and for good reason. Absenteeism is associated with lower academic performance, increased dropout, and even higher rates of future incarceration. In response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, most states now use reducing absenteeism as one of their core measures of school performance and improvement. For some schools, there are also financial incentives, as some funding is linked to average daily attendance.
With the pressure on to reduce the number of school days missed, many schools have introduced attendance awards to incentivize students.
by Todd Rogers and Carly Robinson
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