All About Attendance+: A New Initiative to Boost Attendance in Our Schools
Communities In Schools (CIS) recently launched an innovative new program, Attendance+, to help boost daily attendance in schools and reduce chronic absenteeism. Attendance+ is a multi-school, rewards-based program that incentivizes students, families, and teachers to actively engage in learning.
Why Attendance+ ?
Consistent school attendance is essential for students to gain the academic, social and emotional skills needed to be successful. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reports that:
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the academic year, which has real-life consequences for students, families, and society.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the academic year, which has real-life consequences for students, families, and society.
1 in 4 students (29%) were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year, which is more than twice as high as before the pandemic.
1 in 4 students (29%) were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year, which is more than twice as high as before the pandemic.How Attendance+ Works
Attendance+ is a collaborative effort between CIS and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), with support from Bank of America, the Charlotte Hornets, and other community partners. The basic premise is simple: corporate and community partners donate resources and incentives, such as tickets to sporting events, museums and concerts, while CIS leverages those incentives to motivate behavioral change to improve overall school attendance. This positive reinforcement model is a proven successful strategy to increase attendance and an excellent way for the community to get involved and demonstrate their support.
Please Join Us to become an Attendance+ Partner or Volunteer!
Research shows that outcomes around school attendance are better when the school district has the support and engagement of the entire community. We invite everyone to rally around our kids and schools to help create a positive culture of attendance and the importance of being in school every day!
Please complete the Attendance+ Interest Form to learn more and indicate how you would like to support the program. Here are the primary needs and how you or your company can help:
- Volunteer – Chaperone an outing and help with events.
- Contribute – Provide funding to support CIS efforts to address chronic absenteeism in the CMS schools we serve.
- Donate In-Kind – Companies needed to donate large blocks of tickets to sports, cultural and community events.
- Advocate – Educate others and spread the word about the importance of daily school attendance.
Thank you for supporting Attendance+ and celebrating our students, parents, teachers and schools as they improve and achieve their attendance goals!
