| The purpose of this study was to explore the high number of absentees in Alliance High School and the impact of absenteeism on students' academic achievement. The long term effect of attendance is one of the factors that determines a student's future success in college or in the work place. This study gathered data from student records at grades four, eight, and eleven. These data were used to explore the effect absenteeism has on student academic performance. The data used included: (1) report card grades, (2) standardized test scores, (3) STARS (School-Based, Teacher-Led, Accounting and Reporting System) results and (4) school absenteeism. In addition, interviews were conducted with Alliance Public School dropouts to explore their views of the role of absenteeism and its connection to school performance.; The findings of the study included four factors: (1) characteristics of at-risk students, (2) the school circumstances that can put students at risk, (3) effects of being at-risk on student achievement, and (4) effective interventions for at-risk students.; Recommendations include: (a) the need to identify at-risk students based on their absenteeism as early as possible; (b) the need for schools to identify in-school factors that could be addressed to discourage absenteeism, including classroom management, teaching styles, competitiveness in schools, parental involvement, aggressive counseling programs for at-risk students, consideration of cultural and language differences, a strong attendance policy, expansion of student educational opportunities through choices, and reconsideration of procedures for student enrollment in high school math classes. |
