Photo by Rich Clement
Chronic absenteeism is particularly high for students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten compared with those in elementary and middle school. For young children to succeed and develop a strong foundation for learning, they must attend school regularly. Check out new resources to help identify and reduce chronic absenteeism from REL Mid-Atlantic:
- A webinar recording providing an overview of how to use the toolkit materials to improve school attendance in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten
- A slide deck for school leaders to use when talking with parents and families about the importance of attendance
- A series of fact sheets for district and school leaders and early childhood providers on the importance of attendance in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten and the risk factors:
- Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades: A Snapshot of New Jersey highlights the problem of chronic absenteeism in the early grades in New Jersey and across the nation.
- Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades: Risk Factors and What Schools Can Do discusses reasons for chronic absenteeism and includes strategies to assess patterns in schools and districts.
- Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades: How to Choose and Implement Proven Strategies to Improve Attendance shares research-based strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism in the early grades.
- An infographic for parents highlighting the importance of attendance in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
Most of these resources are included in a user-friendly toolkit meant to help educators, schools, and families. REL Mid-Atlantic partnered with the New Jersey Department of Education on this effort to support the department’s initiative Go-Learn-Grow: Improving the School Attendance of New Jersey’s Youngest Learners.