The Connection Between School Attendance and Academic Success

School attendance is critically important for a student’s journey, especially academic success. Research has backed the argument that academic success and attendance are interlinked. Many people underestimate school attendance, assuming a student’s brilliance is responsible for good grades and academic success. But the data shows otherwise. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to attain good grades and academic success than those who often stay absent. If you are interested in understanding the connection between school attendance and student achievement, then this article is meant for you. Here you will understand the advantages of school attendance and its connection with academic success in detail.

Benefits of regular school attendance

School attendance is undeniably important for every student. School attendance statistics show more than a ratio of a student’s presence and absence from school. It shows how dedicated the student has been to attend school  and learning in an academic environment. Regular school attendance benefits the students in many ways, ultimately helping them achieve academic success.

Classroom instructions

When a student regularly attends school then he/she can understand the course content discussed in class and any instructions passed along with that content. Teachers instruct the students to clarify their concepts in the best possible manner, which helps in understanding and retaining the information. When students are capable of retaining the course content with a deeper conceptual understanding then they can perform better in tests and exams securing attractive grades.

Interactive discussions

Every student has a course book that they can surely read and learn from at home but having a class discussion surely broadens their thinking horizon. When teachers initiate interactive discussions where students pour out their questions and ideas then everyone in the classroom can learn the concepts from a varying perspective that helps them understand the concept more deeply. Having such meaningful discussions in class makes learning the content easier and more engaging.

Learning activities

Attending school regularly allows students to be part of hands-on learning activities, which is important for understanding the course content. Almost all schools now incorporate activities to make the concepts clearer. Students who take active participation in such activities develop a better understanding of their course. Such students can perform better in exams and secure high grades in comparison to students who miss out on such learning experiences.

Ability to question

The students who regularly attend school are acquainted with the entire content related to their term. They also can raise questions in class and clarify their concepts. They can even seek additional help from their teachers if they have any difficulty in understanding. This way they keep up with the course content and make sure they do not lag. This attitude of learning regularly paves the way to academic success in the long run.

Develop positive habits

Students who attend school regularly get influenced by many positive habits that they come across in the school environment. For instance, such students are more likely to complete their assignments before the due date ensuring that they submit on time, actively participate in class to ensure that they are recognized and work dedicatedly on group projects to excel in their class to name a few.

Strategies to improve attendance

Knowing the benefits of regular school attendance and its connection with academic success, you must be tempted to know how you can improve attendance among students. Remember, we are not referring to occasional leave that students take in case of illness, or emergency, rather we are referring to chronic absenteeism in which students become habitual to bunk school. The loss of education on occasional leave can be covered easily but if a student is absent from school for days (or months) then it can become quite a challenge for them to recover the syllabus and gain good grades.

Offer a positive school environment

A positive school culture plays a critical role in maintaining school attendance. Schools where students share a positive and constructive relationship with teachers and staff can motivate students to maintain regular attendance. To offer such an environment to students, make sure that you enroll them in schools where effective measures are taken regarding cultural competence, and social-emotional well-being. Many schools provide such a positive environment for students and the academic success at Sherwood High is a living example of a positive school culture.

Instill the Importance of School Attendance

Students should understand the importance of regular attendance to maintain their presence at school. In this regard, the schools can share the importance of attendance in school orientation to ensure that the students are aware of the impact of attendance on grades. Also, parents can guide their children about the importance of attending school and emphasize the need to go to school to get acquainted with the course they have enrolled in.

Support for mental and behavioral needs

Schools can take the initiative to help students who are going through mental and behavioral breakdowns. Commonly, students with mental and behavioral needs tend to run away from attending school. Schools can do the needful and extend help to such students through support programs, counseling sessions, and mental health services to make sure they are providing a supportive environment for all students. Such programs and initiatives can go a long way in comforting students with mental and behavioral needs boosting their confidence enough to make them regular students.

Attendance policy effectiveness

Schools can design their attendance policies depicting attendance criteria that all students must follow. Many schools already have an attendance policy that they adhere to which restricts the number of absences a student is allowed in a term. The policy is different for different schools and grades. Some schools require students to maintain at least 85% to 90% attendance to be able to sit through exams. Developing such policies, effectively addressing them, and following them motivates the students to maintain their attendance as per the specified criteria.

Intervention for frequent absentees

Every school keeps a record of students’ attendance. Schools can use this record to monitor which students are absent frequently from school. They can then reach out to the families of those students to inform them about the absence and inquire about the reason for the absence. Schools can offer additional support, resources, and any other sort of help if students are having trouble at school that makes them miss school.

Conclusion

Regular attendance in school is critical for students’ academic success. Statistics from myriad studies and research have illustrated a positive relationship between attendance and academic success. To understand the connection between school attendance and academic success you need to understand the benefits of regular attendance. Regularly attending school allows students to understand classroom instructions, learn from interactive discussions, participate in learning activities, raise questions wherever they feel confused, and develop positive habits in the school environment. The good news is that you can improve the rate of attendance by following some strategies that some of the best ICSE schools  in Bangalore already follow. You can encourage the students to maintain regular attendance by offering a positive school environment, instilling the importance of regular attendance, offering support for mental and behavioral needs, adhering to school attendance policy, and intervening where you observe frequent absences.