Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) joins the national celebration of Attendance Awareness Month in September, which focuses on raising awareness about the importance of regular school attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism.
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During Attendance Awareness Month, school leaders, community advocates, parents and students are asked to act on these critical first steps to help prevent chronic absenteeism:
– Develop a habit and culture of regular attendance
– Determine when and with whom chronic absence is a problem, and
– Identify and address barriers to getting children to school.
Chronic absences disproportionately affect children from low-income families – students who benefit most from attending school, research shows. Many children miss too much school because of health problems, unreliable transportation or housing moves, barriers that community organizations and partners can help families address.
“We know that when students are in school and engaged in the learning process, they are much more likely to be successful,” said Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “To reach that goal, we need the commitment of the entire community. We’re asking our schools, parents and community partners to work together to ensure that our students attend school every day to maximize their access to a quality education and graduate college and career ready.”
“September is a particularly good time to focus on attendance,” said Dr, Laurel Thompson, director of BCPS Student Services. “Research shows that students who miss two to four days in the first month of school are more likely to become chronically absent during the school year. By paying attention to absences early in the school year and early in a child’s academic career, we can turn around attendance and achievement.”
