The Victoria Independent School District (VISD) has implemented a variety of initiatives designed to increase student attendance over the course of the 2024-2025 school year. The districtòòò½ÊÓƵ™s newest initiative aims to join students, families, staff and community partners in the fight to increase attendance.
VISDòòò½ÊÓƵ™s 30-Day Attendance Challenge is set to begin March 31. Campuses will implement different initiatives to motivate students and support their efforts to increase attendance rates. Attendance initiatives will include competitions and incentives designed to encourage students to be consistently present in class.
òòò½ÊÓƵœConsistent attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success,òòò½ÊÓƵ Ashley Alvarez, VISD executive director of communications and public relations, said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWhen students are in class every day, they build essential skills, stay connected to their learning community and are more likely to achieve academic milestones. Missing just a few days can disrupt their learning and make it harder to keep up.òòò½ÊÓƵ
The VISD campus with the most improved attendance at the end of the 30-day challenge will receive recognition. Parents and students can see what specific initiatives campuses are offering by accessing the schoolòòò½ÊÓƵ™s individual Facebook page.
The districtòòò½ÊÓƵ™s attendance rate for the 2024-2025 school year so far is 93 percent, according to the . The current rate shows an increase from the 91.8 percent rate for the 2022-2023 school year and the 92 percent rate for the 2023-2024 school year.
Overall attendance and accountability measures across the district have increased as a result of effective collaboration with the four Justice of the Peace judges and the District Attorneyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Office, Alvarez said.
Increased awareness of truancy and chronic absenteeism on campuses, reviews of individual student data by attendance teams to provide targeted support and access to an online platform for submitting absence documentation have positively impacted student attendance across VISD.
District truancy officers have implemented initiatives to increase district attendance rates as well. These initiatives include weekly case management, hosting mass mediations, assisting in home visits during and after normal work hours, holding parenting classes and facilitating formal mediations, Alvarez said.
òòò½ÊÓƵœParents can help by encouraging daily routines, avoiding absences unless absolutely necessary and celebrating their childòòò½ÊÓƵ™s commitment to showing up every day,òòò½ÊÓƵ Alvarez said. òòò½ÊÓƵœEvery day counts toward their success.òòò½ÊÓƵ
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