Reviewing statistics from the state Department of Education, the nonprofit organization found that about 10 percent of New Jersey's students missed more than 10 percent of the 2013-2014 academic year.
Advocates for Children of New Jersey has issued a report that should set off alarm bells among parents, teachers and administrators in the state.
Reviewing statistics from the state Department of Education, the nonprofit organization found that about 10 percent of New Jersey's students missed more than 10 percent of the 2013-2014 academic year.
In the bluntest of terms, that means more than 125,000 of our schoolchildren were chronically absent, putting them at increased risk of falling behind their peers.
"You can't teach an empty desk," educators are fond of saying, and the research bears them out. Missing too much school can lead to long-term reading problems, lower test scores and weaker social skills, the child advocacy group warned in its report.
While Mercer County was far from the worst offender - that title goes to Ocean County, with the most districts (19) cited for high rates of absenteeism - the report singled out three districts here with 10 percent of more of their students habitually AWOL.
OPINION: N.J. students can't succeed when absenteeism is chronic
They are Mercer County Vocational, Princeton public schools and the Trenton Public School District, three widely different populations united by one dismal set of figures.
Several years ago, a West Virginia legislator proposed that parents have their drivers' licenses suspended if their children missed too many days in the classroom. A prosecutor in Michigan went even further, suggesting that mom and dad spend time in jail if junior racks up too many absences.
But the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonpartisan organization started by the famed director in 1991, offers several approaches that are way less draconian - and far more palatable.
The nonprofit suggests, reasonably, that the best time to prevent chronic absenteeism is before it becomes an issue.
And that begins with ensuring that the schools are places where students want to be - safe, supportive and engaging environments where youngsters feel not just welcome, but also valued.
Other strategies include communicating with students to help them see the importance of attendance on their future success; celebrating good attendance with certificates or assemblies; keeping in frequent touch with parents to encourage family engagement; and understanding the barriers to good attendance, such as housing instability, a lack of transportation options and bullying concerns.
This month, while the school year is still shiny and new, is the perfect time for all districts to build a culture that is both student-friendly and parent-accessible. We'd like to see more students respond "Here!" at every morning's roll call.
