Every Day Counts
Being in class on time every day helps DVUSD students and teachers inspire, learn, and lead.
Deer Valley Unified School District is working to support all families and students to improve attendance and academic success. Consistent attendance has been shown to support learning and growth for all students. This starts early in your student's academic career.
Kindergarten and high school grades often sees the highest rates of absenteeism across the state of Arizona. DVUSD is sharing resources to help parents and guardians support their students to create good attendance habits and stay on track for all of their years with DVUSD.
Good Attendance INSPIRES Everyone
Being in school on time every day inspires students to bring their best to the classroom. Students are not only ready and eager to learn, they're ready and eager to socialize with friends, creating lasting connections inside and outside of a classroom setting.
DVUSD teachers and staff are inspired by students who are in school on time every day. Your dedication to being part of our safe learning environment inspires US to be at our best so you can be at your best in school.
Good Attendance Helps Everyone LEARN
When students are in class on time every day, the whole class learns together, with no slowing down through the school year! A rising tide lifts all boats, and a classroom full of students every day allows teachers to keep everyone excelling and succeeding every day.
DVUSD teachers and staff also learn when students are in class on time every day, as we learn every student's unique personality and the best pathway to an extraordinary education. The more we learn how best to serve our students, the better the learning experience is.
Good Attendance Helps Everyone LEAD
When students are in class on time every day, they earn the opportunity to lead other students in class and in extracurricular activities such as athletics and the arts. Leadership opportunities in school can help students gain confidence while teaching teamwork and preparing them for leadership roles after high school graduation.
A full classroom helps DVUSD teachers and staff lead too, as students who are eager to lead others can be placed in positions to succeed both in the classroom and beyond graduation day.
Helpful Resources and Ideas for Improving Attendance
- Parents and guardians can create a Powerschool account to help see absent days and grades for each student in DVUSD.
- Download and/or print out the district calendar for the school year, or add the district and school calendars to your mobile device. This helps to plan for appointments and travel on days school is not in session.
- Start a routine at home on school nights: pack your child's backpack and/or lunch for the next day. Have your child select his/her clothes before bedtime. Have a consistant bed time that allows your child to get 8-10 hours of sleep.
- Kindergarten students and parents/guardians should visit the student's classroom at a kindergarten preview or meet the teacher event before the school year starts. This will help the student become familiar with the classroom space, his/her teacher, and meet new friends before the excitement of the first day of school.
- Know when your child's school begins its day, and when the school releases a child. Also know when the district is releasing 90 minutes early for a PLC Friday.
- If your child rides a DVUSD bus to school, know your child's bus number, route number, and when he/she should be picked up at their bus stop. Download the Edulog app for schedules and alerts, and walk your child to his/her bus stop before the first day of school so they know where to be on time.
- Parents/guardians and students should agree to a daily homework routine to assure assignments are completed in full and on time every day. This is especially important for middle school and high school athletes, whose participation depends on good grades in class while balancing busy game and practice schedules.
- Students who have multiple classes in a day, such as middle school and high school students, should understand if they are 10 minutes late to a class they are counted absent. Students should avoid distractions between classes, and make sure they are in their class and at their desk on time every time!
- Check in on fellow DVUSD students in your neighborhood. Are these students missing school because they don't have a ride to school, or are showing up late for a school bus pick-up in the morning?
- Studies show consistent attendance at school helps a student learn valuable social skills while developing meaningful relationships with other students, teachers, and staff.
Warning Signs to Look For
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, or facing some other potentially serious issue such as bullying or substance abuse.
- Studies show by 6th grade, chronic absenteeism is one of the top warning signs that a student may drop out of high school.
- Studies show by 9th grade, consistent attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
- Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10% of the school year, or 18 of 180 days of school. Over the course of a 10-month school calendar (August - May) that is only TWO absences per month! Absences do add up quickly!
- Schools will send out reminder letters to students and parents after multiple absences.
- Students could be referred to the CUTS program for chronic absenteeism if they exceed the 18 absence total for the school year.
When Is It Okay to Not Be At School?
DVUSD wants your child in class on time as often as possible, but there are a few times when it's best to not be on school grounds. Here are some examples of excused absences that should be backed up by a doctor's note or other documentation.
- If your child is sick, he/she should stay at home. This is especially true if your child has a fever or is showing other symptoms of illness. If your child is diagnosed with an illness, please contact your child's teacher(s) to let them know the absence may be an extended one as your child recovers. DO NOT send a sick child to school, even while medicated, as the child may get other students sick and get sent home early.
- We know the doctor or the dentist can't always schedule your child's routine check-up before or after school. If you can't find an appointment time that falls early in the morning or later in the afternoon, please provide a note from the doctor or dentist stating when your child was out. The same goes for any legal meetings such as a court appearance your family needs to attend that can't be scheduled well before or after school.
- Family vacations and travel can also impact your child's attendance, so try not to include too many travel days during school days, as even missing just two days a month over the course of a school year could lead to chronic absenteeism. Try to take advantage of holiday weeks and weekends, or early release days when planning travel.
