Our second goal is to decrease the number of K-3 students who are chronically absent. For many students, chronic absence — missing 10 percent or 18 days of school each year — is a reality. When chronic absences begin as young as pre-K and kindergarten, students are put on a path to fail to read on grade-level by third grade and off track for graduating high school. In 16-17, the chronic absenteeism rate in Tupelo Public School District was 14.99% and Lee County was 16.96%. Both districts were above the state average, which was 14.2%
Strategies to meet this goal center on:
- Developing a common vision with the community around school attendance.
- Working with both school districts to increase the parents’ understanding between school attendance and reading achievement
- Working with K-3 schools to develop incentive plans to decrease the percentage of chronic absences.
Watch this video about the importance of school attendance:
Attendance Works: A Community Imperative from N.A.K. Production Associates on Vimeo.
Early Childhood Coalition 