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LCOE launches countywide attendance challenge
All Lake County schools will be competing with each other for bragging rights to who has the best attendance.
“Good school attendance is essential to academic success. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
During the week of March 19 to 23, each Lake County school will be trying to reach 100-percent attendance.
The Lake County Office of Education will be collecting attendance data throughout that week to determine the winning schools, divided into the following categories:
– Highest attendance percentage for elementary school;
– Highest attendance percentage for middle school;
– Highest attendance percentage for high school.
Falkenberg added, “With chronic absenteeism being a true concern for Lake County students, LCOE staff brainstormed solutions to help educate the students, parents and community on the importance of attendance. And thus, the Attendance Challenge was born.”
The definition of “chronic absenteeism” is missing 10 percent of the school year—or about 18 days – for any reason, excused or unexcused. This equals missing two days of school a month.
Rob Young, emergency services/special projects coordinator at LCOE, is organizing the project.
“We hope that organizing something fun for the students related to attendance will help them better understand the importance of it,” Young said.
“Attendance matters to everyone in the community, not just those with school age children,” said Falkenberg. “Addressing chronic absence is a key component of improving graduation rates, increasing academic achievement, and giving young people the best chance at success in their adult life.”
Each school district will be sending information home to students and parents about the attendance challenge.
More information can be found at www.lakecoe.org or on the Lake County Office of Education’s Facebook page.