The importance of school attendance is an integral part of student success. The old saying is true: a big part of success is showing up. In order to learn, students need to be in school and stay in school. Poor attendance leads to poor work, poor grades, and eventually poor career opportunities. Research shows that attendance is an important factor in student achievement. Students who attend school on a regular basis have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. Poor attendance has serious consequences for later outcomes. For example, chronic absences in high school can predict drop out rates. If attendance becomes bad enough, it can begin to affect your GPA. When students reduce absences, they make academic gains. Students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. How many absences are too many? A high school student may be denied credit if they accumulate eleven (11) or more unlawful absences in a full year course or six (6) or more unlawful absences in a block course. What are valid reasons for missing school? There are many reasons that an absence would be considered lawful. Students are considered lawfully absent under the following circumstances: sick with a doctor’s diagnosis, a death in the immediate family, chronic illness with physician diagnosis, hospitalization, doctor/dental appointments, or a recognized religious holiday. In order to help with student absences, our school normally offers at least one attendance make-up day per semester. As you can see, it’s obvious that regular attendance is essential for success in school and in life.