Contact: Nancy Schopf, schopf@titletown.org, 920-437-8704
(Green Bay, Wis.) April 13, 2005-- Partners in Education Attendance Task Force collected 2003-04 attendance data from eight of their ten partner school districts—Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Denmark, Green Bay, Howard-Suamico, Pulaski, West De Pere, Wrightstown. From this data the following issues were defined:
¨ In a school year averaging 176 days of instruction, 25% of K-12 students missed ten (10) or more full days of school; however, absence rates reached a peak average of 44% in 12th grade.
o Ten (10) or more days
§ PK/K – 20%
§ 1st grade – 17%
§ 8th grade – 30%
§ 11th grade – 39%
§ 12th grade – 44%
o Note: In the latest Brown County Quality of Life Survey, almost 25% of adult respondents think it’s OK for students to miss (10) days of school per year.
¨ Additionally, in the 176-day school year, 10% of K-12 students missed twenty (20) or more full days of school per year, reaching a peak average of 24% in 12th grade.
o Twenty (20) or more days
§ 1st grade – 3%
§ 8th grade – 12%
§ 11th grade – 21%
§ 12th grade – 24%
¨ In addition to the students with excused absences, an additional number are truant, with truancy rates increasing through the grades to a peak average rate of 29% in 12th grade.
o Absent without an acceptable excuse for five (5) or more full days
§ 1st grade – 2%
§ 8th grade – 8%
§ 11th grade – 22%
§ 12th grade – 29%
Partners in Education (PIE) believes ensuring students stay in school is important for the future of our students and our community. Regular school attendance is a necessary part of the learning process and the means to graduation, a future career, and positive community involvement. Students who are frequently absent, excused or unexcused, may be putting their futures in jeopardy. Absenteeism hurts the student, hurts other students, hurts the school district, and hurts the community.
The Partners in Education Task Force has identified that truancy/unexcused absences are only part of the community problem. The PIE Attendance Task Force acknowledges many area students have patterns of school absenteeism but not considered truant because their absences were excused. Consequently, the school attendance issue is a growing concern and one the entire community is being invited to address.
Partners in Education is hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, May 11, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Washington Commons Center Court. A light supper will be served, no registration fee, and free parking is available. Purpose of the meeting is to identify specific action steps for a number of community stakeholder groups to help confront the attendance problem. Attendance Task Force Action Plan will include specific action steps for stakeholder groups: schools, parents, students, businesses, community members, media, faith community, community social services, government, law enforcement, courts, health care providers, and more. Outcome of the meeting will be a Yes, School Counts community action plan.
To register for the meeting, community members should call Partners in Education, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 437-8704.
Background Information
School Attendance Definitions:
Excused Absences: Students are required to attend school regularly; however; parent-excused absences up to ten (10) days are allowed under Wisconsin Statutes. Any child may be excused in writing prior to the absence by his or her parents up to ten days in a school year. Students may be excused from school for the following reasons:
· personal illness;
· funerals and religious services as requested by the parents;
· professional appointments that could not be scheduled outside of the regular school day;
· serious personal or family crisis;
· student not in proper physical and/or mental condition to attend school;
· family vacations prearranged through the school office.
Truant: Student who is absent without an acceptable excuse.
Habitual Truant: State law defines as a student who is absent without an acceptable excuse or unexcused for all or part of five or more days in a semester.
School Attendance Facts:
· Unexcused absences (habitual truants) are only part of the problem. Many students have patterns of absenteeism but are not considered truant because their absences were excused. However, if students are not in school (regardless of the reason), they miss out on a valuable education and are at risk of the same negative outcomes as those who are actually truant.
· No school improvement effort can succeed unless students are actually in school to benefit from it.
· Students who attend school regularly are more successful than those who do not. Regular attendance has been linked to higher achievement, stronger bonds to the school and community, lower rates of delinquent and high-risk behavior, and increased participation in higher education.
· Students who attend school regularly are hurt by high absenteeism, because students who are frequently absent require more teacher attention.
· Recognizing good or improved school attendance can be a stronger motivator than punishment for poor school attendance.
· Poor attendance habits carry over to post-secondary education and employment.
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Partners in Education, a collaboration of business and education in the Greater Green Bay area, is working together to prepare all learners for productive community life. Founded in 1992, the system includes programs such as the Golden Apple Awards, Brown County Teen Leadership, Youth Apprenticeship, WisCareers, Career Expo, Educators in The Workplace--programs designed to strengthen the economic future of our community.
Established in 1882, the mission of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote economic and community development. Chamber programs include Advance, Partners in Education, Leadership Green Bay, the Young Professionals Network, Brown County Teen Leadership, the International Business Development Consortium, and the Small Business Council.
For more information about Partners in Education, call Nancy Schopf, 437-8704, schopf@titletown.org. For more information about the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and its programs, call 437-8704 or visit www.titletown.org.
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