This Wednesday, Sept. 13, Henderson County Schools will participate in Kentucky’s "High Attendance Day," sponsored by the Kentucky Directors of Pupil Personnel. Elementary, middle, and high schools will compete to determine who has the highest percent attendance at each level.
High Attendance Day is an excellent reminder that regular attendance is essential. Starting in kindergarten, missing 10 percent of school can make it harder to learn to read. That is just a day or two every few weeks. Research shows that missing 18 days in a school year, or two days a month, can result in lower test scores and retention in later grades. By sixth grade, absenteeism is a sign that a student might drop out of high school.
Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the bottom-line responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day. Just as parents should focus on how their children are performing academically, they have a responsibility to set expectations for good attendance.
