WASHINGTON — In the back-to-school season educators want parents to know the importance of regular attendance.

“Missing two or more days a month of school has a devastating impact on graduation rates and life outcomes,” said Leslie Cornfeld, special adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Cornfeld said issues related to chronic absenteeism begin early:

• Children chronically absent in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade are far less likely to read at grade level by third grade and four times more likely to drop out of school.
• As early as 6th grade, children who are chronically absent are far more likely to drop out of school than those with regular attendance.
• As early as 8th grade, chronic absenteeism is a better predictor of dropouts than test scores.

“We’ve talked about the bad news but the good news is that this is a fixable problem,” Cornfeld said.

Best practices to encourage attendance include:

• Having a positive, welcoming school environment
• Mentoring programs that connect chronically absent kids with a caring adult
• After-school programs help kids feel more connected to their school community

Find tutoring and mentoring programs at Absences Add Up.

An Ad Council survey shows the need for an “Absences Add Up” campaign Cornfeld notes.

While 86 percent of parents understand attendance impacts a child’s potential for graduation from high school, the survey shows 49 percent believe it’s OK for their child to miss three or more days of school a month.

“We know that that’s just inaccurate,” Cornfeld said.