As part of a district-wide focus on improving attendance, Chautauqua Elementary School (CES) students with fewer than three absences each month now receive a pencil, donated by Vashon Parent Teacher Organization, and are entered into a raffle for a larger prize.
It’s all part of a new program, made possible by local island businesses, including Standard Goods, La Isla, Vashon Pharmacy, Vashon Theatre, Island Queen, Zamarano, The Recess Lab, and Minglement. These businesses have donated raffle prizes to all three district schools.
This incentive program is just one of several strategies CES Principal Julie Kangas and Assistant Principal Karen James are employing to improve attendance rates. Like many schools across the country, CES has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attendance data illustrates the concern. In the 2018-19 school year, 89.3 percent of CES students averaged two or fewer absences per month. By the 2022-23 school year, that percentage had fallen to 67.8 percent, indicating that nearly a third of students were missing school frequently enough to put their academic and personal growth at risk.
“Regular attendance is vital to a school’s community and foundation,” said Assistant Principal Karen James. “It isn’t essential for just student growth in academics, but also in social-emotional development and personal empowerment.”
Chronic absenteeism — missing two days of school per month — adds up quickly. Over the course of a school year, it translates to 20 missed days or 12.5 percent of the year. Research shows that students who miss this amount of school are more likely to fall behind academically, struggle with reading proficiency, and ultimately have lower graduation rates. For younger students, even small gaps in learning can create compounding challenges that are difficult to overcome in later years.
Understanding the root causes of absenteeism is crucial. Many families face challenges around child care and transportation that make consistent attendance difficult. In some cases, there has also been a shift in perception, post-pandemic, about what it means to be “sick enough” to stay home.
At Vashon High School (VHS), “senioritis” is persistent. The freshmen currently have the best attendance rates, with 70.28% averaging two or fewer absences. That number plummets to 41.95% for seniors.
This is why the Vashon Island School District and its administrators are dedicated to creating a vibrant, welcoming environment that draws students into school and celebrates those who consistently attend. At McMurray Middle School, a recognition wall for students who have 90-100 percent attendance rates began this year. At VHS, administrators share weekly attendance data with students, staff, and parents so that the whole community is aware of the challenges, as well as the successes.
“Attendance issues compound as students reach high school,” said VHS Assistant Principal Sabrina Kovacs. “Students who miss more school often experience greater academic anxiety and lose opportunities to participate in sports, theater, clubs, and other extracurricular activities that are a big part of their day.”
Each school tracks individual students’ absenteeism rates and collaborates with families to work on better outcomes. CES uses a multi-tiered approach to address attendance, providing Tier 2 and 3 interventions for students facing chronic absenteeism. At McMurray and VHS, administrators, teachers, and counselors communicate with students and families to develop support plans and strategies for improving attendance.
Kovacs emphasized the importance of daily attendance for long-term success: “We are always happy to see our students walk through the front door each day, and we notice when they are gone,” she said. “We want every VHS graduate to leave with the knowledge, skills, and habits they need to reach their life goals. This is much easier when they are consistently in school.”
Peter Woodbrook is the executive assistant to the superintendent of the Vashon Island School District.
