School principal takes proactive approach to absenteeism

Jackie Hanson, high school and middle school principal, is attempting to make improvements in student attendance before it becomes an issue this school year.

According to the most recent Alaska Department of Education’s Report Card to the Public, school attendance in the Wrangell School District has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, remaining at 86.72% for the 2021-2022 school year, almost 9% below its attendance rate of 95.54% during the 2019-2020 school year.

“Given the transitions associated in how educational services were delivered during the course of the pandemic, coupled with the fact that attendance policies were relaxed, in general there is still room for improvement with student attendance,” Hanson responded in an email on Oct. 23. “The good news is that it's the beginning of the school year, so there is still plenty of time to make changes and improve. What's of utmost importance is getting our students here, we want them attending and present in school.”

Hanson sent a memo to parents on Oct. 10 regarding school policy on attendance and reminding them of its importance.

“As noted in my memo to parents (and) guardians, attendance is one of the most important factors in a student's success at school,” she said in her Oct. 23 email. “During the school day there is continual discussion and interaction between students, teachers and fellow peers that are important to the ongoing learning process. When students are absent, these quality-learning experiences are missed. With that said, the goal of the attendance memo was simply to be proactive in keeping the lines of communication open between the school, parents (and) guardians, and our students.”

The high school’s 2021-2022 attendance rate was at 84.47%, according to the state report card, approximately 11 percentage points lower than its 2019-2020 rate of 95.78%; the middle school’s 2021-2022 attendance rate was at 86.77%, almost a 10-point drop from its 2019-2020 rate of 96.27%; and Evergreen Elementary’s 2021-2022 rate was at 87.77%, just over seven percentage points lower than its 2019-2020 rate of 95.09%.

The state-prepared report card — which is prepared for districts across Alaska — is not yet available for the 2022-2023 school year.

Hanson feels there are many ways that improvements can be made, especially by creating a solid school-home partnership. “Schools should do what they can to monitor attendance trends and set attendance goals,” she said, noting that it’s also important that schools communicate with home by keeping parents and guardians informed, while building positive connections with students and their families.

“Creating a welcoming and engaging learning environment also proves to be advantageous,” she said. “At home, parents (and) guardians can support positive attendance habits by making school attendance a priority. Aligning family trips to school breaks is a great way to prioritize attendance. Talking to children and teens about their school day regularly and discussing the importance of engaging in class as well as completing schoolwork is also helpful.”

Hanson added that ensuring a good night’s rest not only benefits overall mood, but can help better improve concentration, memory, and recall as well.

According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, almost three-quarters of public schools reported (in May of 2022) that chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 10% of days in a school year for any reason, has increased across the country since before the pandemic.

“Chronic absenteeism is a challenge that many schools across our state and country are faced with each school year,” Hanson said. “While it wouldn't be fair to pin all attendance issues and rising absenteeism on COVID, COVID sure didn't help.”

 

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