Making the Case: How Good Afterschool Programs Improve School-day Attendance
Summary
It goes without saying that poor school attendance can lead to academic failure. The
opposite is also true: students struggling academically often disengage from school and
start skipping classes because they don’t see an avenue to success. Research shows that
good afterschool programs can not only improve academic performance but also influence
school-day attendance, even when most don’t appear to make it an intentional goal. They
accomplish this by:
- Providing socialization and peer attention in a supervised venue
- Re-establishing the link between effort and results—first in a non-school activity
- Engaging students in challenging activities that help them develop persistence, a
trait critical to later success in school and life - Providing consistent contact with caring, stable adults
- Increasing the sense of belonging at school
Source: Attendance works (n.d.). Making the Case: How Good Afterschool Programs Improve School-day Attendance.