UWSWA, Airbus, & MCPSS Team Up to Raise Awareness about School Attendance
United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA), Airbus Americas Engineering (Airbus), and Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) have joined a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the value of regular school attendance.
UWSWA, Airbus, and MCPSS recognize that good attendance is essential to academic success, but that far too many students are at risk academically because they are chronically absent. Chronic absence is described as missing 10 percent of the school year—or about 18 days—for any reason, excused or unexcused.
For the third year in a row, UWSWA is working to help reduce chronic absenteeism by raising awareness among parents and guardians about the impact of school attendance on academic achievement. In partnership with MCPSS and Airbus, UWSWA will have more than 30,000 flyers with tips for developing good attendance habits distributed to families at every MCPSS elementary school.
Chronic absenteeism in the primary grades is a predictor of lower reading scores. By middle school it is a warning sign that students are at risk of failing classes and dropping out of high school.
“To continue to narrow the achievement gap and further increase the graduation rate, we need to start early to make sure students and parents know the importance of regular school attendance,” said Superintendent Martha Peek. “Students miss instruction and learning opportunities when they are not in school. It Starts With Us working together to make sure all students attend today, to achieve tomorrow.”
“This matters to all of us, not just those with school-age children,” said David Trent, Site Director at Airbus Americas Engineering in Mobile. “Our future depends on prepared citizens, engaging in ways to increase our community’s standard of living and economy. As our public schools strive to graduate all students, ready and on time, it all starts with being present in class. Airbus is proud to support this initiative in the community where we work and live.”
To help promote good attendance, UWSWA and Airbus will host Attendance Celebrations to applaud outstanding attendance at Mobile County public elementary schools. Classes with fewer than three absences from September 1 to 30, 2015, are eligible and may be randomly selected to receive a fun-filled classroom celebration.
“To succeed, the Attendance Awareness Initiative requires collaboration and cooperation among teachers, students, families, and community partners,” UWSWA Interim President and CEO Larry Davis said. “By coming together as a community, we can combat chronic absenteeism by removing the barriers that keep children from achieving in school. We can also help the students develop a habit of attendance that will benefit them later in life.”