{"id":3702,"date":"2024-01-06T09:57:58","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T09:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolstatus18.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=3702"},"modified":"2024-12-03T18:44:16","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T18:44:16","slug":"how-prince-william-county-schools-got-an-a-for-attendance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/blog\/how-prince-william-county-schools-got-an-a-for-attendance","title":{"rendered":"How Prince William County Schools Got an A for Attendance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Like many districts nationwide, Prince William County School District (PWCS)<\/strong><\/a> has grappled with rising chronic absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge is significant: during the 2021\u201322 school year<\/strong>, 19.4% of students<\/strong> missed 10% or more of the academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following year brought even more concerning trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronic Absenteeism on the Rise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By the second quarter of the 2022\u201323 school year<\/strong>, 23.5% of students<\/strong>\u2014over 21,000 children<\/strong>\u2014were chronically absent, a 4.1% increase<\/strong> from the year before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, an earlier report revealed that 29% of county students<\/strong> missed five or more days in that same quarter. The PWCS School Board<\/strong> recognized the urgent need for a solution, understanding that chronic absenteeism not only undermines academic performance but also disrupts students’ sense of belonging and social-emotional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know that there is a correlation between absenteeism and classroom performance. Stated simply, better attendance is associated with higher grades,\u201d said Dr. Michael Neall, PWCS Director of Research, Accountability, and Strategic Planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Neall also emphasized the importance of fostering connections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faced with these challenges, PWCS leaders sought innovative solutions to improve attendance rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling Out \u201cAttention to Attendance\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To combat the rising absenteeism rates, PWCS launched \u201cAttention to Attendance,\u201d<\/strong> a comprehensive program powered by the SchoolStatus Attend<\/strong> platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This initiative employs a data-driven communication strategy<\/strong><\/a> designed to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n