UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

RESEARCH FINDING:

Unexcused  absences  decrease when parents are promptly  informed 
that their children are not attending school.

COMMENT:

Absences are a major problem at all levels of  school.   Students 
who miss a lesson lose an opportunity to learn.   Too many missed 
opportunities can result in failure,  dropping out of school,  or 
both.   Research indicates parents want to hear promptly if their 
children have poor grades,  are creating discipline problems,  or 
have unexcused absences.

Schools  have  different ways of letting parents know when  their 
children  aren't  in school.   Some use staff  members  to  check 
attendance  records  and  phone the parents of  absent  students.  
Others  have begun using automatic calling devices that  leave  a 
recorded message with parents.  The usual message is a request to 
contact  the  school  about the absence.   These devices  can  be 
programmed to call back if no answer is received.   Schools using 
such devices report substantial increases in attendance. 

Good attendance in school is another example of the connection of 
time and learning.   Just as homework amplifies learning, regular 
attendance  exposes  students  to a greater  amount  of  academic 
content and instruction.   Students,  of course, must concentrate 
on their lessons in order to benefit from attendance. 


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