We want all our students to succeed in the classroom and beyond. But you can’t succeed if you don’t show up!
Attendance is one of the best predictors of student success. Unfortunately, across our nation, state, and District, too many students are struggling to succeed because of chronic absenteeism.
We understand that if our students aren’t in class, they can’t pass and cannot grow intellectually, academically, socially, or emotionally.
DEFINITIONS:
- Chronic absenteeism includes all absences, excused and unexcused. A Tennessee student is chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of instructional days (typically 18 days absent).
- Truancy includes unexcused absences only. A Tennessee student is truant if they accrue five unexcused absences.
C.O.M.E. to Win:
When it comes to attendance, there is a lot at stake. Did you know that if your child misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss out on 20 days per year, which is the equivalent of four weeks per year and almost 1.5 years over 13 years of schooling?
Now, if your kid even misses an hour of school each day, that's a full day a week, three weeks a year, and 2.5 years throughout 13 years of schooling. Your child’s best chances at success start with them being at school. Attendance does matter. Because of that, we have launched the C.O.M.E. to Win initiative.
The initiative encourages our students to maintain their attendance record by highlighting them as Champions, Winners, and Participants.
Champions are students with zero to eight absences (attending 96% of days or higher).
Winners are students with 9-16 absences (attending 91% - 95% of days).
Participants are students with ten or more ((attending 90% of days or less).
COME to WIN numbers are updated every 20 days. See below our champions for this period!
For more information:
Want to find your child's C.O.M.E. to Win status?
Students and parents will now be able to track their child’s attendance/C.O.M.E. to WIN status on their PowerSchool portals as well as on all progress and report cards.
IMPORTANT: How do I alert my child’s school of an absence?
Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, you can conveniently report absences through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Simply log in and navigate to the "Forms" tab, where you will find the Student Absence Form to complete and submit. For any assistance with logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please email [email protected]
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LAW & CONSEQUENCES:
According to Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-3001, all Tennessee children ages 6 through 17 are required to attend school. This section of the code requires districts to enforce compulsory attendance laws using various methods, up to and including referral to juvenile court. Juvenile court judges may also penalize parents based on their child’s truancy.
HOW TO REDUCE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND TRUANCY
Our most important partnership is the one we, as a K-12 school district, share with our students and families. Over the previous school years, we have spent a great deal of time examining how we address matters of attendance and truancy. We have taken steps to be more intentional in our work and implemented methods to provide additional support to families experiencing issues impacting their child’s attendance. Please review our updates and see how you can support this effort.
| WHAT MSCS IS DOING | WHAT WE NEED FAMILIES TO DO |
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CONNECTING FAMILIES WITH RESOURCES We’re using technology more efficiently to connect parents with resources. Now, when parents receive a message about their child missing school, they also receive a link to a state database with services in their community, such as food pantries and healthcare clinics. | REINFORCE THE MESSAGE From an early age, explain to your child how important it is to attend school regularly. A missed school day is a lost opportunity for learning. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. |
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KEY PARTNERSHIPS We are partnering with the Juvenile Court to develop a dedicated docket for attendance when our supports fail. We also are partnering with the District Attorney’s office, so when interventions fail, there are legal consequences for non-attendance. | UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO Parents now receive an automated alert via text and robocall when their child has three or more absences. Make sure you receive important communications from MSCS by keeping your contact info updated in PowerSchool. |
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STAFFING We have reallocated resources to directly support schools with the lowest attendance rates. | SEND A NOTE Keep your child’s school informed of any absences. If your child is going to be absent, be sure to send a written excuse to the school office or submit a student abscence form electronically, so the absence can be coded accurately in the system and possibly be excused. |
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C.O.M.E. to Win PARENT COMMUNICATION PLAN Families will receive regular, personalized communication regarding their child's attendance status through a variety of channels, including district support letters, phone calls, and text message alerts. Parents will also have access to available resources and interventions for students who are chronically absent. | REACH OUT IF YOU NEED HELP If your family is impacted by barriers keeping your child from regularly attending school, we are here to help. Visit bit.ly/TN_211 for a database of services or contact your child’s school. |
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