All Together Now: In Schools Together, Learn Together, Achieve Together. This is the theme of Montgomery County Public Schools’ newly rolled out attendance action plan.
During the previous school year, 42,863 out of about 160,000 students were deemed chronically absent, meaning they missed 18 0r more days of school, which is 10% of the school year.
During the 2018-2019 school year, 30,349 students were chronically absent.
According to MCPS statistics, during the previous school year, 30% of African American students receiving free or reduced meals were chronically absent. More than 42% of Hispanic students receiving free or reduced meals were chronically absent.
At the high school level, 36% of students were chronically absent.
MCPS attributed some of the problem to students learning from home, often in their pajamas, during the pandemic. They also blamed some of the high rate on students not feeling interested in the work or welcome in their schools due to an issue of equity.
MCPS plans to utilize intense data this school year, including not just when a student is absent but details that can point to patterns of absenteeism. Some students have jobs or need to be home with younger siblings at various times, for instance.
The goal is to engage students so they will want to come to school. It will be an all-hands on approach, with teachers, social workers, nurses, attendance secretaries and administrators.
“We believe that every student deserves equal opportunities to succeed academically, and regular school attendance is an important factor in achieving that. By implementing our multifaceted approach, we aim to create a culture of attendance and engagement that supports the well-being and academic growth of all our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight at a news conference Tuesday.
MCPS set to announce new attendance plan to combat absenteeism. Plan includes
data driven foundation and system wide attendance promotion campaign to "raise importance of regular school attendance"@mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/mutc4iPHpV— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) August 22, 2023
