As Baltimore faced an arctic blast of cold air over the past few weeks, schools did not just see the temperatures drop, their attendance ratings declined as well.
Attendance in elementary and middle schools has consistently been just shy of reaching the satisfactory state standard of 94% in the past few years. Currently, middle schools in Baltimore City have a 91% attendance rate and elementary schools are at 92.9%.
The Port Covington Development Team, in partnership with the SB7 Coalition, has created a campaign called TARGET 180 to help students get to all 180 days of school in the academic year. The goal of the campaign is to have communities invest in getting students to school every day, by creating spaces where students have fun and feel special. The team aims to do this by bringing parents, students, teachers and community members together to encourage students on their way to school. Do you want to see what it’s all about? The video found HERE provides a great example of how City Year Orlando, an AmeriCorps organization, has been able to do this successfully.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes as well. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood.”
To fight absenteeism, we are calling upon the communities to help our students start their week off right. Join your community and become a “Welcome Warrior” at the School Spirit Squad Pop-Ups to support the schools in reaching their attendance goal of 94%. The School Spirit Squad Pop-Ups will also give parents and families the opportunity to continue building relationships with the students and educators at that school.
You can sign up to volunteer here. Volunteers are needed for the following dates:
Tuesday, Apr. 3, 2018
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If you have any other questions, contact Lexx Mills at [email protected].
