Prevent Child Abuse RI (PCA-RI) Chapter Director, Lamel Moore, has been invited by Education Commissioner Infante to serve on the Chronic Absenteeism Working Group. The group will address the urgent issue of chronic absenteeism throughout Rhode Island schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2022-2023 school year, 28.9% of all Rhode Island public school students were chronically absent, or missed at least 10% or 18 days of the school year, compared to 19.1% during the 2018-2019 school year. The numbers are even more staggering in Rhode Island's urban school districts. The Rhode Island Department of Education’s (RIDE) goal is to assemble a diverse body of stakeholders to address the underlying causes and recommend innovative solutions to combat chronic absenteeism systemically.
"Being a father, I understand how crucial school attendance is. However, I also recognize that many Rhode Island students face obstacles that are beyond their control, which prevent them from attending classes. I look forward to sharing my ideas and practical insights on how we can assist families, students, and educators in addressing this time-sensitive issue." -Lamel Moore, Prevent Child Abuse RI Chapter Director
The working group’s objectives include:
• Identifying the root causes of chronic absenteeism in our communities;
• Developing strategies and a statewide model policy to reduce absenteeism and improve student attendance;
• Fostering collaboration among different stakeholders to create a comprehensive support network for students and families; and
• Raising awareness about the importance of regular school attendance.
Please visit www.ride.ri.gov/backtoschool to explore attendance resources and tools available to local education agencies and the community, including the statewide Attendance Leaderboard and downloadable attendance-tracking calendars for families. For a detailed look at disaggregated chronic absenteeism data, visit the RIDE Data Center’s Historical Absence Rate and Absenteeism dashboard.
This blog post is sharing content directly from Education Commissioner Infante's letter inviting Prevent Child Abuse RI Chapter Director, Lamel Moore, to serve on the Chronic Absenteeism Working Group.
