An Analysis Of Factors Contributing To Poor Attendance In The Third Grade At Dunbar Elementary School Fort Worth, Texas

Good attendance Is necessary in order for a teacher to achieve desired goals in teaching and for students to progress educationally to the best of their abilities. Consequently, it Is important to know the causes of poor attendance before improvement can be made. After the real causes are known, a clear understanding as to why the child was absent will enable the teacher to take intelligent remedial measures. The problem of keeping children in school who are enrolled, but not attending school regularly Is not new. In fact, it has concerned teachers and school officials since the establishment of compulsory school attendance laws by the states beginning with Massachusetts in 1852. Such a law was not passed in Texas until 1918 and since that date, the problem of non-attendance has assumed increasingly greater Importance. The passing of the Gilmer-Aikin law by the Texas Legislature In 1949 has served to make the problem of absenteeism of greatest importance to the schools of this state, for the entire minimum foundation program of school financing is based squarely upon the number of pupils in average daily attendance. It Is obvious that this alone stimulates school personnel to do their best to maintain the highest possible level of attendance among pupils. For teachers, however, this is only one of the reasons for their interest in keeping pupils in regular attendance. All school districts in Texas arrange calendars to provide for a minimum of one hundred seventy-five days of actual instruction. The pupil must be in attendance for at least two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon to be recorded present for the entire day. The significance of the amount of non-attendance can be seen best in relation to the number of days schools are in session each year. Every child who is school age is required to attend public school for a period not less than one hundred twenty days, although the present minimum of one hundred seventy-five instruction days per year tend, to nullify this requirement. The period of compulsory school attendance begins at the opening of the school term unless otherwise authorized. An attempt to improve school attendance would include enforcing the school laws and by the teacher making the school work and activities more interesting and attractive