Every Day Matters: Attendance Builds the Graduate
Every Day. Every Student. Every Opportunity.
At Knoxville CUSD #202, those words reflect our commitment to ensuring that every student receives the learning, relationships, support, and opportunities needed to succeed. Regular, on-time attendance is an essential part of that commitment because students cannot fully benefit from opportunities they miss.
Reading by Third Grade Begins with Showing Up
The early grades are especially important because students are building the foundational reading skills they will use throughout their education. Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is widely recognized as an important indicator of future academic success and high school graduation.
An Attendance Works study of attendance in the early grades found:
64% of students with good attendance in kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently by third grade.
That percentage fell to 41% for students who were chronically absent during either kindergarten or first grade.
Only 17% of students who were chronically absent during both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently by third grade.
Missing just 10% of the school year—approximately two days each month—can make it harder for a child to learn to read. Students can also fall behind when they miss only one or two days every few weeks because early learning is sequential. Each lesson builds upon what students learned the day before.
Attendance Supports Learning at Every Age
The importance of attendance does not end after elementary school. Students who attend consistently are better positioned to:
Participate in direct instruction, classroom discussions, projects, labs, performances, and field trips.
Receive immediate assistance, feedback, and encouragement from their teachers.
Develop effective study habits, time-management skills, and personal responsibility.
Build meaningful friendships and feel connected to their classmates and school.
Avoid the stress and frustration associated with missing instruction and trying to catch up.
Participate fully in extracurricular activities, athletics, career programs, dual-credit classes, and other opportunities.
Build the habits of dependability, commitment, and perseverance valued by colleges and employers.
Assignments can often be completed after an absence, but the complete classroom experience cannot always be recreated. Students may miss a teacher’s explanation, a class discussion, an opportunity to collaborate, or the moment when a difficult concept finally begins to make sense.
Attendance Helps Build Our Portrait of a Graduate
Our Portrait of a Graduate describes the qualities we want every Blue Bullet to develop: Communication, Empathy, Problem Solving, Responsibility, Integrity, and Adaptability.
Daily attendance helps students practice each of these qualities:
Communication: Participating in discussions, asking questions, listening, and explaining ideas.
Empathy: Developing relationships and learning to understand the experiences and perspectives of others.
Problem Solving: Working through challenges, applying new learning, and trying different solutions.
Responsibility: Arriving on time, being prepared, meeting expectations, and following through on commitments.
Integrity: Making positive choices and becoming someone others can trust and depend upon.
Adaptability: Responding to feedback, learning from mistakes, and adjusting when circumstances change.
These qualities are developed through everyday experiences. Every classroom conversation, challenge, activity, relationship, and opportunity helps build the graduate we want every Knoxville student to become.
How Families Can Help
Families can support strong attendance by:
Establishing consistent morning and bedtime routines.
Preparing clothing, backpacks, and school materials the night before.
Scheduling appointments outside the school day whenever possible.
Monitoring attendance and addressing patterns before missed days begin to accumulate.
Talking with children about why attending school matters.
Contacting the school when transportation, health, anxiety, bullying, or another concern begins affecting attendance.
We understand that students will occasionally need to miss school because of illness or other unavoidable circumstances. Families should not send children to school when they are truly ill. However, when attendance becomes difficult for any reason, please reach out. Our administrators, teachers, counselors, nurses, and support staff are ready to listen, identify barriers, and work with families on solutions.
Resources for Parents and Families
A Guide for Parents and Schools
— Practical information about the importance of regular attendance and ways families and schools can work together.
Thank you for partnering with Knoxville Schools to make regular attendance a priority. When students are present, they have the opportunity to learn, connect, grow, and prepare for their futures.
Every Day. Every Student. Every Opportunity.