Lincoln students rise to new attendance challenge

WASHINGTON - Grade levels at Lincoln Elementary in Washington are competing to see who can maintain the best attendance rates. It’s the latest initiative in the school’s playbook as the Washington school district tries to curb “chronic absenteeism,” wherein students miss 10% or more of the year’s school days, for any reason besides school-sponsored activities.

Every Monday, Lincoln’s school announcements include attendance rates for each grade level in the week prior. Then, every month, whichever grade wins the most weeks gets music during lunch, or is allowed to wear hats and hoods for a week, which would normally go against their dress code. For the last few months of school, the rewards will extend to any grade level that exceeds 95% attendance.

“We’ve been looking at more universal approaches to attendance that reach every student,” said Building Behavior Interventionist Jen Weidman. “Not just targeting the students that aren’t coming, but really encouraging attendance for all students.”

Lincoln has had a better year than its last few, in terms of attendance rates, even before the challenge began. The building’s absentee percentage has floated between nine and 11, well below the state average of 18%.

While the new initiative hasn’t markedly changed those rates, Weidman said keeping them even was a win. While attendance typically worsens around holidays and breaks, she said it had stayed steadier than normal this year.

It may seem unintuitive for a building teaching grades three though five to focus so much on attendance. Younger students generally depend on their parents to get out the door each morning, or to leave school early, unlike older students who often drive or walk between home and school on their own.

The contest, however, has helped staff connect more with families, according to Weidman.

As part of a broad effort to convey attendance issues to guardians, the initiative means parents can better “understand the importance of taking their vacation at times they’re not going to be missing school, those types of things,” she said. “I don’t know that the challenge itself is going to put us over the top, but it’s a piece of that puzzle to get the information out.”

The behavior interventionist said she had noticed a culture shift among students as well. That’s likely also at play in the challenge’s success.

“We’re able to teach these kids the importance of attendance,” Weidman said. “That will hopefully carry on with them for life, through middle school, high school, college, jobs. All of those things, we really have eager students and it’s our chance to help them learn that.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com