September is Attendance Awareness Month: Recognizing the importance of regular student attendance 

8/15/2022

September is Attendance Awareness Month, which is a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. This month recognizes the importance of mobilizing schools, partners and communities to promote regular attendance by developing tiered strategies and personalized interventions to reduce chronic absence. 
 
 Many Ohio K-12 students continue to face barriers that result in chronic absenteeism. The start of the academic year presents an opportunity for districts and schools to support the needs of their students and families in overcoming the barriers brought on by the pandemic.
 
This September, districts and schools are encouraged to celebrate regular attendance. The Stay in the Game! network will highlight various activities districts and schools can use to recognize the importance of regular attendance among their students as seen here. Districts and schools will have the opportunity to be recognized on various social media platforms using the #StayInTheGame hashtag.  
 
During the 2020-2021 school year, 24% (more than 377,000) of Ohio students were chronically absent. The Stay in the Game! Network partners, the Ohio Department of Education, Harvard University’s Proving Ground and the Cleveland Browns Foundation have committed to reducing Ohio’s chronic absenteeism rate by half over the next 10 years.
 
Parents, caregivers and families have the greatest hand in their student’s future success. Tools to help parents, caregivers and families discuss the importance of school attendance and engagement in remote education with their students are available on the Stay in the Game! resources page.
 
While this school year may still have some unforeseen barriers in Ohio’s learning communities, educators, families and communities can take some key steps to keep students focused on learning. For more information and exclusive attendance resources, visit the Stay in the Game! Network website. Attendance Works has also provided Attendance Awareness Month resources for schools and districts to use. The Ohio Department of Education and its partners are committed to increasing student attendance.