Modification of school attendance for an elementary population

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Behavioral Interventions
• School Health

Background:

• Low school attendance negatively impacts student learning and development.
• Incentive-based programs can motivate desired behaviors in students.
• Previous attendance data provides a baseline for evaluating intervention effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a novel attendance incentive program on elementary school student attendance.
• To determine if a party-based reward system can significantly increase daily school attendance.
• To compare the attendance rates of the participating school with historical data and other schools in the district.

Main Methods:

• A school-wide program was implemented for Grades 1-3, linking attendance to monthly party opportunities.
• Immediate daily feedback was provided through a classroom star chart system for each student present.
• Attendance data was collected and compared to previous years and concurrent attendance at other elementary schools.

Main Results:

• The experimental school demonstrated a dramatic improvement in attendance rates during the program.
• The school achieved the highest attendance among all elementary schools in the district.
• The incentive program was directly correlated with increased student presence.

Conclusions:

• Party-based attendance incentives are effective in significantly improving student school attendance.
• Immediate positive reinforcement, like star charts, enhances the effectiveness of attendance interventions.
• This program offers a scalable model for improving school attendance in elementary education.