Attendance software can help students stay engaged and assist teachers in providing an effective educational experience. A student’s education is directly related to their attendance. Unfortunately, many young people drop out of school before they have a chance to graduate because of their absenteeism. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), one out of every five children will miss at least one month of school during their elementary years. This is the equivalent of 50 days out of the classroom. That number doubles when students get older and hit middle school, high school, college, and grad-school levels (NCES).
While many factors influence student absenteeism, including family issues or illness, there are also systemic problems beyond the control of students and teachers. The United States Department of Education states that one out of every ten public schools fails to provide students with adequate educational opportunities because they do not have enough teachers or staff to handle the number of students enrolled. Some private schools face the same problem. These schools often have unpredictable schedules, overcrowded classrooms, and limited supplies (United States Department of Education).
How Attendance Software Can Help Teachers Handle Their Students
Teachers are the number one factor that influences a student’s education. Attendance software can help teachers manage their classrooms by tracking the day-to-day attendance records of each student. Students who are consistently tardy or absent will be identified quickly, allowing teachers to create an individualized learning plan. Attendance software makes it easy for teachers to communicate with parents about their child’s attendance patterns so that they can support their students by helping them get to school on time. Teachers can set up email alerts and automated phone calls to know when students are absent or tardy. Attendance software can notify the appropriate staff members of any missed assignments or tests. This way, students will not be penalized for their missed work because the teacher has time to cover it in class before school ends.
How Attendance Software Can Help Students Stay Engaged
When educators can stay on top of each student’s attendance records, they can identify who is behind and provide targeted instruction to help them get caught up with their classmates. The American Psychological Association claims that targeted instruction is the most efficient way to reach every student since it provides individualized support based on their needs, strengths, and weaknesses (American Psychological Association). This ensures that every child gets the support they need to stay engaged in class, achieve at high levels, and graduate on time.
Adding attendance software to the classroom can simplify the process of record-keeping for both teachers and students. For example, in K-12 school systems, this technology can streamline paperwork required by state law. Educators can handle administrative tasks quickly, so they have more time to focus on their student’s success – both in the classroom and at home. Now, school districts can know with certainty that all of their students are in the building and receiving an education. This knowledge is invaluable to administrators and teachers, who depend on positive attendance numbers because it can affect their budgets.
How Attendance Software Can Help School Districts
Every year in the U.S., 15 billion dollars is wasted on alternative education options because students fail to receive a quality, traditional education (Alternative Education Resource Organization). This lack of academic success leaves graduates unprepared for the workforce and forces them to spend additional time earning their high school diplomas.
States with declining graduation rates often struggle to retain qualified educators because experienced teachers prefer to work in places where students graduate on time and receive a solid education (United States Department of Education). Although some school districts have the funding to provide additional support for their at-risk students, most schools can’t afford such services.
Classroom attendance is often the first indicator that a student is at risk for failing or dropping out. This information allows educators and administrators to identify those students quickly to provide additional support and resources within the school and community.
Attendance software can help students stay engaged in school by providing teachers with more time to work with individual students. With automatic notifications of tardies and absences, educators can provide targeted instruction based on each student’s needs. When the system offers both teachers and parents access to attendance records, it helps build an open line of communication so educators can better support students struggling with time management or other obstacles, such as illness. Additionally, attendance software is a more efficient and cost-effective method of record-keeping for school districts. When teachers can quickly handle administrative tasks such as reporting attendance, they have more time to focus on student achievement and growth.
SchoolCues is an all-in-one school management system for small schools with limited budgets and resources. Our solutions include admissions and enrollment, online payments, student information system, gradebook, communications, parent engagement, donations and fundraising, alumni management and more. Schedule a demo with us today.