Student achievement is a difficult concept to discuss comprehensively simply because there are so many factors that impact. Choice of school, teacher quality, the child’s interest in the subject matter, socio-ecconomic status and geographic location are all well documented aspects that influence how successful a child is at school. Because there are so many elements contributing to achievement it is problematic to apportion how much impact each factor has on learning… education is not as simple as following a recipe to bake a cake. Despite this problem it is fair to say that, “In order to learn at school you need to be present”. Distance education and online learning are not excluded in this proposition: infact a focused digital presence may be better for some students than dealing with the myriad of distractors in the classroom.
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) recently released a report titled “Spotlight: Attendance Matters” which captures the trends, risks and opportunities in relation to student attendance from which this article draws heavily.
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Attendance is measured in two ways;
Student attendance rates: the number of actual full-time equivalent student-days attended by full-time students in Years 1 to 10 as a percentage of the total number of possible student-days.
Student attendance levels: the proportion of full-time students in Years 1-10 whose attendance rate is greater than or equal to 90 percent in semester 1 of a school year
Each measure has its strengths, however, the key difference is that in the attendance rate students who attend 100% of the time minimise the impact of students with chronic absence.
Key Findings. The overall attendance rate in Australia is 92% while the overall attendance levels are 75%. Both measures peak in mid-primary school and drop sharply in secondary school. Attendance rates decrease as the family location becomes more remote or if the child is indegenous or comes from a lower SES background.
Influences compound: As an example non-indigenous students located in major cities in Year 7 have an attendance level of 80% while children of the same age who happen to live in very remote indigenous communities have an attendance level of 18%.
Factors that influence absence. While every context is different there are some broad factors shown to negatively impact attendance levels;
- Individual factors such as academic self concept, depression, anxiety, negative attitude toward peers or teachers and a lack of belonging.
- Family factors such as how highly education is prized in the home and the level of family involvement in things like homework.
- School related factors such as the tolerance of bullying, poor teacher relationships or poor connection to peer groups.
Do a few days off really matter? The impact of non-attendance has both an academic and social impact. There is a well documented correlation between absence and achievement which demonstrates that every day matters. While every day matters there are reasons for absences which impact differently. To provide examples of the two extremes, a student who is absent for a week to complete in elite sports will likely be given materials in advance and have the support to catchup on the work missed. In contrast a student who truants is unlikely to have those supports and instead may build anxiety about returning to school. It is also important to note that impacts of absenteeism are cumulative. Patterns of absence in the primary years often continue and grow in the secondary school.
Lateness is a type of absence. Just as full day absence can be pattern forming and negatively impacts; so to is lateness. While 10 minutes is not long especially if it is a morning assembly that is missed it is important to consider your child’s emotional space as they enter the classroom. A child who arrives during assembly has no time to mentally prepare themselves for the day, indeed the stress of the traffic congestion may well impact them for some time into their first lesson of the day. In the primary context this is often reading and writing. Just as adults require time and space to read and write well children deserve the same conditions.
Lateness is also cumulative… if a child is late by only 10 minutes a few times a week the hours soon add up. In a single year there is 20 hours of learning missed and as suggested earlier the most important learning of the day is often scheduled first in a primary school. Assuming the same pattern throughout primary school we are looking at 28 full days of premium class time.
What happens when there is a pattern? School leaders monitor attendance patterns regularly. Students who begin to show signs of chronic absence require early and effective intervention. When pattens become more significant and imbedded each education authority will have policies and processes published on their website. These actions can include meetings, engagement with counsellors or mental health professionals and reports to relevant family and community services departments. In the academic domain relevant qualifications are placed in jeopardy such as the HSC in New South Wales or the VCE in Victoria. While the age for compulsory schooling varies between states it is the legal responsibility of the parents to have children engaged in school.
What can I do? As a parent:
- Set positive attendance habits early.
- Reach out to the school when you no longer feel in control.
- Set high expectations for your child and do your best to model them in your own life.
As a school:
- Create a welcoming environment for all students.
- Encourage parents to reach out as partners in the education process
- Be vigilant for emerging patterns
- As a parent / school partnership:
- Identify students at risk and intervene early.
- Acknowledge the challenge and seek positive interventions to resolve the situation
- Never put blame on the other partner or the child.
In short the data suggests there is no safe level of absenteeism, every absence impacts achievement. Building and maintaining positive attendance patterns is a three way partnership between student, parent and school where all parties hold an important piece of the puzzle. When things begin to deviate from the ideal all three parties need to work together in a no blame culture to resolve the underlying causes and return the child to classes as soon as possible.
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