COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — More students are showing up to school in Council Bluffs thanks to a new program that motivates students and improves communication with parents, resulting in measurable improvements across the district.
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During the pandemic and the following years, educators nationwide reported higher absentee numbers — a problem that leads to missed learning and lower grades.
Last school year, Council Bluffs Community School District found a creative way to keep kids in class through a news attendance initiative, "Attend today, Achieve More Tomorrow."
"Yes, I think it has helped us," said Thomas Jefferson High School Principal Michael Naughton.
Naughton said the program helped at least 70 more students at his school meet their attendance goals. That's seven percent of the population at T.J.
How the program works
An attendance team comprised of educators meets weekly to discuss problems and solutions for chronically absent students.
"We really ramped up our communication, we started having more parent meetings, more students getting in. Finding out what are kind of the root causes," Naughton said.
Role models also set the tone for younger students. Senior Chloe Wieland, a year-round athlete, is a role model for younger students.
"I always tell the freshmen that, you know, you don't — 'Oh, you're too tired to come, well, that's twice as much work that you need to do tomorrow,'" Wieland said.
"Sometimes adults can say the same things but it really rings home when it's a peer saying it," Naughton said.
Incentives drive results
The district found that incentives work effectively, including quarterly parties with food for kids, sponsored by community partners, and Hy-Vee discounts for parents.
"Here at T.J. we have celebrations for who shows up and shows up on time such as bringing Raising Cane's or Texas Roadhouse," Wieland said.
"I don't know about you, but food's a motivator for kids," Naughton said.
District-wide success
The improvement extends beyond Thomas Jefferson to the entire district. About 250 more Council Bluffs students are now meeting attendance goals. That means about an increase of three percent of students district-wide who are not chronically absent.
"That just really impacts the building because when kids come into their class and see their classmates there, they realize school's where they want to be," Naughton said.
A letter also goes out to parents detailing their child's attendance. More than two missed days a month is considered too much by district standards. The goal is to get students to school at least 90% of the time.
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