In an effort to improve graduation rates, Solano County educators continue to call on students, parents and communities to boost school attendance by focusing on chronic absenteeism.
In October, educators signed on to a comprehensive effort, “School Attendance — Every Minute Matters: From Awareness to Action,” in hopes of stemming the problem. California has a graduation rate of 71 percent, ranking 42nd out of 50 states, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Chronic absences occur when a student misses 10 percent or more of classroom instruction days, or about 18 days in a year, for any reason, including excused absences, noted Jay Speck, Solano County superintendent of schools.