student attendance data. Some of the data showed a definite correlation
between student attendance and their GPA. Not surprisingly, the students who
miss the least amount of school, on average, have higher GPAs than the
average student. Here's a summary of some of the data:
The average IKM-Manning student missed 6.047 days of school during the first
semester this year and had an average GPA of 3.028 for that semester.
There were 39 students who missed 10 or more days of school during the first
semester. The average semester GPA for this group was 2.779.
There were 135 students who missed 5 or less days of school during the first
semester. The average semester GPA for this group was 3.267.
There are always exceptions. We have students who miss a great deal of
school but still get very good grades. And we have students who rarely miss
school but get bad grades. But, on average, you can predict that students
who have excellent attendance will out perform students who have poor
attendance.
The staff discussed why attendance is so important. Staff noted that
although a student can make up assignments and assessments missed during an
absence there simply is no way to recreate the live instruction and the
dynamic environment that takes place in the classroom. You can't "make up" a
spirited classroom debate about the pros and cons of an important issue or
the clarifying and expanding discussion created when students ask questions
in the classroom.
Simply put, attendance matters. The staff here at school greatly appreciate
all the hard work it sometimes takes at home to convince teenagers that they
really do need to be in school.