TPS Sends Letters To Parents To Address Absenteeism

Tulsa Public Schools launched a new effort to get children in class; it's starting with a letter to make sure parents know how many times their children miss school.

TPS has a big problem with students not showing up for class – 28 percent of all students miss at least ten days a year. And the district is responding to the chronic problem by reaching out to the parents.

Superintendent, Dr. Deborah Gist said, "Absenteeism plays a huge role in a student's ability to be successful in school."

She said the district is trying new methods to cut down on absenteeism.

"It really sends a message to our children about whether or not school is important, whether it's a priority or whether it's OK to miss school a day or two every couple of weeks," Gist said.

The district is sending letters out for students who miss the most at each school. It shows how many days the student has missed and a chart comparing with the school overall.

It's in simple language, noting that "missing just a few days a month can add up to a lot of lost learning time."

Gist said the letter was funded by the Schusterman Foundation, based on research from Harvard; and, for the district, it could pay off with better attendance and more funding.

That's because state funding is based on average daily attendance - missing students mean less money for teachers.

“The investment is worth it, not only because we know how important attendance is for children's success in schools - it helps us in terms of having all of our kids present and accounted for," Gist said.

The problem with absences varies quite a bit between schools - at some just a few days out of class is unusual, at some others, more than half the students miss ten days a year or more.