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Syracuse city schools pushing for better student attendance

Ed and Eddie
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The Syracuse City School District has launched an attendance initiative, urging the community and families to make sure children to go to school every day.

School officials estimate that, depending on the school, between 25 and 40 percent of students miss at least 18 to 20 days of classes a year in the district. That’s 10 percent of the total number of days in a given school year. Chief Academic Officer Linda Mulvey said it is the definition of chronic absenteeism.

"There’s a lot of research that shows that once you hit that ten percent mark that schooling is adversely affected," Mulvey said. "It really impacts the amount that students learn, it impacts their behavior in school if they’re not there and part of the regular routine.”

So the district is embarking on a new initiative to make families aware of how important school attendance is. Mulvey said it’s a point of emphasis for teachers and administrators this fall, with posters dotting classrooms and letters going home to families.

Mulvey said many of the issues stem from poverty and urban living, but especially for the younger years it can be just a matter of families understanding how important it is.

"What happens with a a lot of a parents is, your child misses school a couple of times a month and you don’t sometimes see how that adds up and what the cumulative impact is," Mulvey said. "We are trying to really increase awareness about that.”

Mulvey said the consequences of absenteeism can also be long-term.  

"If you hit that chronically absent point, you’re much more likely to be behind in school academically," she said. "If you’re in high school, you’re much more likely to drop out and other problems associated with it.” 

Mulvey said students in preschool and younger grades struggle the most with absenteeism.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.