Malta Public Schools, like many other schools across the state, has struggled with the problem of consistent student attendance. This is a problem that has been steadily growing and has accelerated in recent years. The U.S. Department of Education identifies a chronically absent student as one who is absent 15 or more days in a single school year. Here is the average number of days absent for our students and the percentage who would be considered chronically absent.
School (2021-22) | Percent of Students Missing 15 Days or More |
Malta High School | 29% (does not include school-sponsored events or absences for medical appointments) |
Malta Middle School | 27>#/p### (does not include school-sponsored events or absences for medical appointments) |
Malta Elementary School | 37>#/p### |
School (2021-22) | Average Days Absent per Student |
Malta High School | 12 (does not include school-sponsored events or absences for medical appointments) |
Malta Middle School | 13 (does not include school-sponsored events or absences for medical appointments) |
Malta Elementary School | 14 |
In addition to constantly playing “catch-up” to get students back on track, this level of absenteeism has a direct impact on the academic and mental well-being of our students. Studies from attendanceworks.org have shown the following impact of chronic absenteeism:
Kindergarten and 1st grade students who are chronically absent have an 81% chance of reading below grade level.
By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Between 8th and 12th grade, a student who is chronically absent is over 7 times more likely to drop out.
Studies conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics link chronic absenteeism to teenage pregnancy, violence, unintentional injury, and suicide attempts.
As a result, Malta Schools will be making student attendance a point of emphasis in the upcoming school year. Our district attendance policy has been reviewed and updated and will be enforced. Information about our attendance policies will be made available to parents/guardians and updated attendance data will be shared on a regular basis. However, in order for this problem to improve, it must also be a point of emphasis for our families and our communities. Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments and vacations on days when there is no school whenever possible, monitor your child’s attendance, and most importantly, make regular attendance a priority. Together, we believe that we can improve the attendance rates of our students and with that, the academic success and mental well-being of our students.