Attendance

FSD Families: Attendance Matters!

We need your help with an important goal this year. Because we know that attendance has a direct impact on academic success, we want to see every student attend school every day and for the full day. 

Why is This Important?

We want your child to succeed in every aspect of life and it starts right here with being present at school. Attending school regularly is so important for your child’s success because it not only helps your child academically but it also helps them socially as well. While some absences are unavoidable, research shows that when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. For example, missing 2 or more days per month, or 18 days over the course of the year, means they have missed 10% of the yearly instruction! 

We want your child to be successful in school and when they are absent, we miss them! Let us know how we can best support you and your child by contacting your child’s teacher, principal, school counselor, or district attendance supervisor Celby Glass at 615-472-3117. We look forward to seeing you and your child throughout this school year!

You may notice an increased emphasis in Franklin Special Schools on student attendance. It’s a pretty simple idea, when students have good attendance, they do better in school. Good attendance is missing not more than 1 day of school a month, whether excused or unexcused.

Did you know?

• Starting in kindergarten, excessive absences can cause children to fall behind in learning necessary skills
• Missing a day or two every few weeks creates challenges for children in learning and progress
• Being routinely late to school can negatively impact a child’s day of learning

TRUANCY PLAN
(UNEXCUSED ABSENCES)

All schools must follow a law that requires school personnel to intervene with services for students who have 5 or more unexcused absences. Parents of students who acquire unexcused absences will be contacted about this as the year unfolds because many of the interventions require parent or guardian compliance as well.

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM  
(EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES)

Chronic absenteeism refers to unexcused and excused absences. Research shows that POOR ATTENDANCE is directly linked to REDUCED ACADEMIC OUTCOMES for students.  In FSD, attendance is monitored to determine what barriers, if any, are impacting a child’s ability to be in school on time. We want to help eliminate ALL barriers that keep children out of school so our school attendance secretaries, principals and/or the district safety and attendance supervisor will contact parents/guardians if absences appear to be leading toward chronic absenteeism. We are bound by state law as well as the Tennessee Department of Education’s reporting standards that use attendance data as an indicator of school quality and student success.

If you would like additional information on any of these attendance matters, or need support in getting your child to school, please contact Celby Glass, FSD Safety and Attendance Supervisor, at 615-472-3117 or by email at glasscel@fssd.org.

Some Great Tips to Get Out the Door

• Help your children establish a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Help your children get to school every day unless they are truly sick.
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
• Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to help out.
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school or show other signs of not wanting to go to school.

For more information on school attendance, please review the FSD policy (6.200 Attendance) in the district’s Online Policy Manual or refer to your school’s parent handbook. Another great resource is www.attendanceworks.org.