Attendance: the Surprising Key to Success for LaRue County Students
Perfect attendance trophies might seem a bit odd to those unfamiliar with public schools. After all, you don’t get an award for simply showing up ‘in the real world.’ However, what most people don’t realize is that attendance is a key element to student success.
For Director of Student Services Eric Allen, the programming put on by the school is only as effective as the time a child is in class.
“We work hard to provide every student with as many supports and resources as possible to prepare them for a successful transition into adulthood. Programs that support children’s overall well-being help them learn more at school,” he said. “But for students to be able to benefit from what we’re providing, they must be present.”
Attendance Keeps Students Safe
This programming can include critical drills — including emergency drills like fire or evacuation procedures.
Allen noted that if a student were to miss school consistently, that could leave them underprepared for an emergency.
“Our emergency drills play a big role in our school’s overall safety. Unfortunately, there’s seldom much warning, if any, when an emergency event will take place. That’s why we practice our lock down, severe weather, and evacuation procedures regularly,” Allen said. “If the time comes that it’s not a drill, those procedures can be done efficiently.”
In emergency situations, efficiency is everything. Tornadoes – a weather event all too familiar for this area — have a lead time of just 13 minutes according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which tracks major weather events in the US. The emergency drills at LaRue County Schools equip students with the knowledge of what to do in those 13 minutes. Being present, physically and mentally, for those drills can make a world of difference for students.
Stepping Toward Success, One Day at a Time
Beyond physical safety, attendance sets students up with the tools and habits they need to make the most out of school. Multiple studies from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) pointed out that, while teachers are the biggest driver of student success, a student’s attendance played a sizable role in the effectiveness of their teachers. In short, a teacher can only be as good as the time spent with them.
By understanding the importance of attendance, students can also lay a foundation for future success in college and the workplace. LCHS Attendance Clerk Wendi Edwards sees the impact attendance has on students each and every day.
“Students that have consistent attendance in school are more likely to succeed in school and have less struggles in the classroom due to that consistency,” she said. “These habits created as children and teens follow students from school into their career and life as adults.”
Edwards also noted that most curriculum is cumulative, building upon the previous day’s lessons. Absent students can quickly fall behind, and depending on the subject matter, it can be tricky to catch up. NCES data indicates that by ninth grade, a student’s attendance records are significantly correlated to their chances of graduating on time.
But beyond the GPAs or the programming, Edwards noted one final piece to the importance of attendance. Connection.
“It’s needed for students to have peers and adults to interact and communicate with each day,” Edwards said. “These relationships are important for their mental health and emotional well being.”