This year we received 3 stars on achievement and on the progress areas of the Ohio Department of Education “report card” - meaning Barberton Schools has met the state standard for performance in those critical areas.
This was achieved while managing over 7,000 days missed and a chronic absentee rate of 34% last school year – higher than last year's state average of 30%. Chronic absenteeism is measured by the number of students who miss 10 or more days of school per year. The state's ideal chronic absentee rate? That would be 10%.
I know it was a Covid year, and many of those absences were uncontrollable. The point is, our staff works extremely hard to help all students, no matter what level they are at. Just imagine how well we would do if our attendance rate was better!
Attendance affects everything a district is measured on… overall scores, progress, graduation rate, etc.
A few years ago - before Covid - we were at a 24% chronic absenteeism rate. The year after we got that down to 14%... then the pandemic hit.
We need our students at school, all day every day. Organizations and companies could not function effectively with this kind of absent rate.
Our actual graduation rate - of the students that are in our walls and stay with us all four years - is roughly 94 percent. But, did you know that is not what the state measures with its “graduation rate?”
The state measures incoming freshmen to senior graduation, but we are penalized for those students who leave us and do not enroll anywhere else - which is surprisingly common. Those students stay on our rolls and negatively affect our state reported graduation rate. I would love to know where they are. Unfortunately, here in Barberton, we have a significant transient population. This is why we need our students here - every day - and to stay with us all four years in high school. We know that is when we are at our best - and we have data to prove that. But the state doesn’t look at that.
I know I speak of old times a lot. But, back in the day, I had no choice about going to school or not. It was not even a conversation. Many students get further behind with each day they miss. It gets harder and harder to catch these students up. But our staff always looks for ways to help them get caught up… if they stay with us.
Please hear this – we are not doing our children any favors by allowing them to miss so many days of school.
These bad habits DO spill into adulthood. When I’m speaking with families of children who struggle with attendance, I ask if they will be allowing their children to live at home until they are in their 50’s. Most answer ‘no’ of course.
The bad habits that are developed now will decide if your student can get and stay employed. As parents and guardians, what we tolerate is what we permit.
We all want our children to be successful in the world and make their own way.
Going to school every day is part of that training. I understand that sometimes there are circumstances that are beyond the control of a parent or guardian. All that I ask is that you contact us and let us work with you. We want all of our students to be successful, and I know our families want the same. Let’s work together to get our students to school “All Day Every Day” - starting now!
Original source can be found here
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