State Adds New Attendance Indicator To Report Cards

Beginning this school year the state will begin using a new accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator.

The indicator will place a larger emphasis on attendance when school districts and schools are given performance scores. Putnam County Schools Attendance Supervisor Corby King said the indicator will be placed on student report cards beginning this schools year.

“They are adding that indicator because we know that students who are chronically absent from school are significantly behind their peers in reading levels,” King said. “By the time they get to middle school there are large gaps for students who are chronically absent in both English, language arts, and math on standardized testing. This is also a big indicator for high school drop out rates.”

King said 10 to 12-percent of Putnam County students are chronically absent. He hopes to have that number down to 8-percent within the next two years.

He says the school system is constantly working with families on ways to reduce the student absentee rate.