In reporting on back-to-school season, both Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Oregonian published news articles about the importance of attendance for students’ health and academic success.
Oregon’s Department of Education has declared September “Attendance Awareness Month” to raise awareness about how regularly attending students are more likely to learn, grow and connect. ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams called on educators, parents and community members to prioritize attendance and to ensure that each and every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Oregon Public Broadcasting’s article noted how we used grant money and private donations to bolster a districtwide “Gladstone Shows Up” attendance awareness campaign that resulted in a higher overall attendance rate than the state average, as well as a higher rate for students experiencing homelessness.
In the Oregonian’s news article, reporter Julia Silverman noted how chronic absenteeism is a nationwide issue. She provided examples for how states and school districts have addressed the issue, such as Rhode Island setting up a dashboard that displays attendance data statewide in real time.
“Locally, the Gladstone School District has had success bringing down its chronic absenteeism rate with a campaign that enlisted the entire town, from the mayor to school bus drivers,” the Oregonian article said.