Attendance is improving at Freeport High School, according to new data from the Illinois Report Card.
Chronic Absenteeism is improving at Freeport High School going from 38% to 33% of chronically absent students, or students who have missed 10 days of school or more. However, this is still higher than the state average of 26%.
Attendance is important because coming to school is how you stay ahead in class, according to Lead Academy Dean Deontae Collier.
“If they don’t come to school they don’t learn and they fall behind and if they fall behind, they don’t graduate,” Collier said.
Bad attendance is a pattern of frequent absences, chronic tardiness, and leaving early, all of which interfere with a person’s ability to keep up and succeed, according to Freshman Academy Dean Ryan Pierce.
Students who are absent a lot “struggle due to missing instructions, which hampers their ability to learn effectively and leaves them unprepared, making it more difficult for them to succeed,” according to Pierce.
Students also gain trust from teachers, coaches and people of importance when at school.
“If you don’t come on time, you would come into class not knowing what’s going on which leads to missing assignments,” Junior Dwayne Mosley said.
What strategies can help students maintain good attendance is ensuring they get enough sleep each night. As sophomore Kareem Odeh said, getting more rest can make it easier for students to wake up on time and start their day with a positive mindset. A consistent sleep schedule not only improves focus and energy but also sets the feel for a productive and successful school day.
