The pandemic exposed an issue at many schools across the country: chronic absenteeism, including in the Parsons School District. However, district leaders have implemented a system that has helped. The Parsons School District has created a new “Chronic Absenteeism Task Force,” made up of faculty and staff from each school in the district. They’ve come up with initiatives and incentives for students. “Most of the research says, you know, try the non-punitive approach, support multi-tiered system of support. And so that’s where we started trying things last spring. And then we saw our numbers start to decrease,” said Jeff Pegues, Parsons Schools Assistant Superintendent. They’ve also put a focus on creating a welcoming environment and put a system in place to reward good attendance like morning assemblies to recognize students and drawings for weekly attendance.
Source: KSNF/KODE
