The school year is already in full swing, and Fall is right around the corner! And with this new school year comes making sure students can get to school so they can learn and grow – that means schools are once again thinking about strategies to reduce absenteeism.
According to research from the US Department of Education, chronic absenteeism can have a negative effect on student academic performance and can be a predictor of whether students will drop out of school. Students who are absent or tardy miss valuable instructional time, and are less likely to master those skills, concepts, and principles needed for success.
The Challenge
“Chronic absence” means a student is missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason. Why would students miss so much school?
Working adults caring for school-aged children can face a myriad of challenges in getting their scholars to school consistently, including:
- Unreliable transportation options, such as limited car ownership or living too close to the school to be on a bus route
- Health problems for either students or their adults, like asthma or diabetes
- Lack of access to community support or services, including safety concerns
Small Steps Towards Big Change
Although true systemic change can take time to fully address, there are steps we can take in our daily lives to impact our students’ health and academic outcomes by supporting their ability to attend school regularly.
Presenting alternative transportation options is one way you can help to empower your school families to get students in their seats every day. These options might include:
- biking or walking students to school
- carpooling with neighbors to school
- taking the school bus
How can you help? Here are a few tips for encouraging your school families to think about their school commute options this school year:
ENCOURAGE NEIGHBORHOOD EXPLORATION
Create a scavenger hunt to help school families who live nearby scope out safe neighborhood routes for walking or biking. Don’t forget to let families know that active transportation, which includes walking and biking, can help get students’ brains fired up on the way to school.
HELP FAMILIES LEARN TO RIDE
Host a bike education session at your neighborhood school or park to help get folks up to speed on alt. Find resources from providers such as Propel Atl or Go Georgia.
CREATE A CARPOOL CONNECTION
In communities and neighborhoods that have a bit more spread, encourage families to connect with neighboring households to create a community carpool schedule, which can help to reduce stress on households in getting scholars to school.
SPREAD THE SCHOOL BUS WORD
If your school offers bus services, encourage families to use these services. Sharing the benefits of school buses can help encourage their use. For example, did you know that school buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road?
Need more support? If your community or school is interested in starting a Walking Bus or Bike Bus, GCS is here to help with free toolkits and support. Have other ideas you’d like to explore around school-based, or neighborhood-based commute options? Send us a note at schools@gacommuteoptions.com.