Student and Family Support
Students can attend school regularly when they feel safe and are supported by their community. They need advocates inside and outside of school.
Adults outside of school often support student attendance through transportation and caring relationships. Ensuring children’s connection to school and helping them arrive on time are critical to student success.
The resources on this page address the needs of both families and students.
Student Resources
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Student wellness is an important component to engagement and attendance. The Department has a variety of resources to help with managing feelings, connecting to others, and building healthy habits.
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It is easier to be more engaged in your school community when student voice is represented. Learn more about ways to increase student voice and help all students be engaged.
Support for Families and Caregivers
- A student’s school is the first line of defense when barriers get in the way of attending school every day. Families and students can reach out to a school counselor, administrator, or trusted adult at the school for assistance.
- The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network developed grade-specific attendance tools and resources to support families
Addressing Common Concerns from Families and Community Members
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Family Concern: “I need help with my child who is struggling to attend school regularly.”
- All parents and caregivers have hopes and dreams for their children, and each school wants to help problem-solve situations where there may be barriers, aversion to attending school, or disengagement from school entirely. There can also be a combination of all these issues.
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One way to help is by having one or more intentional conversations to understand some reasons the child doesn’t want to attend. Talk through the child’s goals for their future after finishing school. Once adults know what is getting in the way of daily attendance, families can collaborate with the school on strategies and interventions to support the child. Use this root cause webpage from Attendance Works and download the Root Causes worksheet to help with the conversation.
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Community Member Concern: “I believe a student I know isn’t attending school.”
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In Ohio, attendance is a local issue and is monitored and supported by the school where the student attends. First, report the concern to the child’s school or district. A school or district will not be able to tell anything specific to community members who are not a guardian, but they can still listen to the concern. If a community member reports to the school and is still unsure if the child is being supported or suspects educational neglect, contact Ohio Department of Job & Family Services to report a concern in the county where the child lives.
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Family Concern: “I received a letter from my child’s school about attendance, and I don’t know what to do.”
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Families can start by contacting the person who sent the letter such as the school’s attendance office, principal, or other district staff member. Ask how the school tracks/logs absences as excused, unexcused, or medically excused. If there are additional questions the school’s staff cannot answer, contact the superintendent about district policy or the local board of education if you have concerns about the need for policy revision or questions about attendance practices.
Additional Resources
Last Modified: 11/18/2024 10:57:37 AM