Attendance Rewards

[Daxx]

I'm a teacher. One of my co-workers told me that her nephew won an all-expense paid trip to Florida. I asked her how he won it and she replied that he won it at school. I asked if it was part of a contest (ie: fundraising prize, etc.) and she said no, that it was part of their attendance incentives program. You know -- you attend school and for every day you attend school, you get a ticket and that goes into a drawing for a big prize (I-Pod Video, trip, etc.). The same high school gave away a car to a senior w/the best attendance last year.

What are your thoughts on this? Does your school partake in it? Should we award attendance or should attendance in school just be expected?

 

[mickeyboat]

Tough one, I can see it from both sides.

What is the detriment to having a rewards program? Does the school have a real problem with attendance? Do they have a problem with kids coming to school sick just to get a ticket? Are we doing something to our children's sense of responsibility because we are rewarding them for just showing up for school?

What is the benefit? Will kids really come to school more often to get a ticket for a prize they really have little chance to win, anyway? Does the program seem to get kids more excited about going to school?

My answers to these questions lead me to believe that the program probably has little consequence either way. It probably has little benefit, and minor bad consequences.

But what a lucky kid to win that trip!

Denae

 

[Abbie]

Our school doesn't do this but I think it's a great incentive. My kids are "expected" to attend, not even an option, but I think there are some who don't get that same expectation from their parents so it might help them. I think anything we can do to encourage kids to stick in school is a good thing.

The part I really like about this one is that you get a ticket for each day you are in school. I would NOT think it so great if it's a strictly "perfect attendance = car" kind of thing. My kids have never had "perfect" attendance because I won't send them to school sick. This way, my kids would have the exact same chance of winning as someone with perfect attendance, less a ticket or two. Odds are still great!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

for perfect attendance: no, if you are sick - stay home! This encourages sick kids to go to school. There is a parent in our neighborhood who talks about her kids perfect attendance - guess whose kids barf on the bus ...you guessed it!

believe me - I am not the kind of parent who allows their kids to stay home for fun days - although we do vacation during the school year.....but you should not be encouraging sick kids to come in -

I think prizes are all the more ridiculous - where I have seen it done - it is just for a certificate....

going to school is its own reward!

 

[Becky2005]

Wow!

Makes me wonder if they had problems with attendence or something?!?! for that big of a prize to be offered. Even though we are in a somewhat financial healthy district, I can't imagine that flying very well here unless it was donated or something!

Our elementary school used to give out "Perfect Attendance" awards, which was just a certificate, at the end of the year award ceremony but last year or the year before, they quit.

None of the kids seemed bothered by it. My DD got it a couple years but she would never get it again nor did she strive to get it. We didn't even know they HAD it until the awards ceremony her Kindergarten year. She has to see some specialist doctors now & I have to take her into the city to do that which means on those days, she misses school.

When DS was in 2nd grade, it was the year of health problems that year! My DD sprained her ankle so missed a few days, my DS broke his arm plus I got to know the nurse on a first name basis that year because he was sent home several times for the most bizarre things (all over body itching with no apparent rash which we finally determined was an allergic reaction! It was baffling but now funny when I think back on it. I'm sure the nurse was as puzzled as we were!) I don't know if it counts if you go & then are sent home?!?

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I have issues with the award programs for attendance. It encourages people to send their kids to school sick, which helps spread it around to others. Not to mention, even if you're tardy one day - even if you're 1/2 late to school because of a doctors appointment - you're knocked out of the running. It's a program with really unreasonable expectations.

 

[Christine]

Well, the program isn't really "rewarding" kids who attend school. I mean, yeah, the more days you attend, the more tickets you get but still, EVERYONE gets to participate. Even the kids who hardly ever show up *could* win the trip.

It would be something to complain about if the school was only awarding prizes to kids with perfect attendance. That would encourage showing up to school sick to win a trip. But just by showing up and getting a ticket to put in a "hat" so to speak is not enough incentive either way to cause crazy behavior.

I don't think it's wrong to give a "little" incentive to show up to school.

Right now, my DD (who rarely gets sick) complains because I won't let her stay home when she gets the common cold. It never occurred to her to complain until she sees that just about everyone of her friends gets to stay home when they have the sniffles (these are high schoolers). They all take off so much (at their parent's discretion) that some of them get written up for too much time off. It is ridiculous. Who knows, maybe a little ticket would help these kids!

 

[brasswillow]

Wow, those are pretty big rewards. When I graduated from high school I had three consecutive years of perfect attendance and I got cash, I think $30 and a certificate. This wasn't something that was advertised though and it was part of the senior award night. I think rewards for good attendance should be given but I don't think they should be incentives.

 

[Galahad]

I does encourage kids to go to school sick. At DS's school, if you have perfect attendence for the semester, you are allowed to pick one final exam to skip. Seems pretty counter to the mission of a school!

 

[cardaway]

no, if you are sick - stay home! This encourages sick kids to go to school. There is a parent in our neighborhood who talks about her kids perfect attendance - guess whose kids barf on the bus ...you guessed it!

I don't support this kind of thing at any level, and that's probably the biggest reason.

I also seen examples of teachers basing grades on attendance.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I don't have any problem with those certificates and pins they give away at the end of the year for good attendance --- but some of these "prizes" are getting ridiculous.

 

[mickeyboat]

I had perfect attendance in 10th grade English, and my teacher gave me a penny for every day I was in class.

I think perfect attendance awards might encourage kids to go to school sick, but I don't really think the ticket program really does that.

Denae

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

Our schools don't do it, but we live in a relatively affluent area where the parents are pretty involved in the school and are committed to kids actually showing up at school.

However, in the inner city schools, where parents are more worried about where the next meal comes from - those schools have huge attendence problems and drop out rates. I know some of those schools do have attendence incentives to keep those kids in school, especially in the upper age groups.

 

[wendy46001]

as someone who stayed home for the silliest reasons i was always very impressed by those with perfect attendance...so i do think they should get some kind of award.....

but i can see how it would make kids want to go to school sick....if the school has this type of program it should be monitored very carefully to prevent kids/parents from ignoring their health

 

[Christine]

Yeah, but this prize doesn't really mandate that a student must have perfect attendence.

There chances of winning increase by the more tickets (days) they have, but it doesn't say one must have perfect attendence.

 

[sewer]

Our school doesn't do this but I think it's a great incentive. My kids are "expected" to attend, not even an option, but I think there are some who don't get that same expectation from their parents so it might help them. I think anything we can do to encourage kids to stick in school is a good thing.

I think you've posted the root of the problem! If the parents don't expect their kids to go to school what good will it do these same kid's when they are expected to show up for work? The home life is the root of the problem, I would suggest that be corrected first.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

DD's school just gives out paper awards.

 

[DISUNC]

I'm a teacher. One of my co-workers told me that her nephew won an all-expense paid trip to Florida. I asked her how he won it and she replied that he won it at school. I asked if it was part of a contest (ie: fundraising prize, etc.) and she said no, that it was part of their attendance incentives program. You know -- you attend school and for every day you attend school, you get a ticket and that goes into a drawing for a big prize (I-Pod Video, trip, etc.). The same high school gave away a car to a senior w/the best attendance last year.

What are your thoughts on this? Does your school partake in it? Should we award attendance or should attendance in school just be expected?

I wanna go to THAT school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I ever got was a PENCIL for good attendance!

Honestly, that schools policies regarding this are just SOOOOOOOOOOO flippen ridiculous on so many levels.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I think that if someone has perfect attendence than they should be rewarded, but a trip is too big of a reward. I do think that it would encourage kids coming in sick. Attendence should be expected except in cases where you are sick or on vacation at WDW. LOL!!
I do disagree that a child would get a ticket for each day they attend. A child that is absent frequently could still win since they do get tickets on the days they are there. If they give tickets, then it should be one ticket to each child that has perfect attendence and then draw from those. I still think that would encourage kids coming in sick. Maybe a reward such as a gift certificate to a book store. Something smaller than a trip, that way it's not such a big deal, but given to ALL that have perfect attendence.

I am lucky that my daughter has not been sick at all this year. I do expect her to go to school (except if she is sick) even on the days that she nor I want to get up. I feel, as a parent, that it is my responsibility(she is only 6) that she goes to school. School is not a punishment, it's a privledge to be able to go. My daughter's friend's mother works until 11PM. Many mornings she brings her daughter late to school and the days she doesn't want to get up, her daughter doesn't go to school at all. It's not my business, but it bothers me that she feels it's ok to not have her child attend school just because she doesn't want to get up. She could homeschool her that way she could still get an education.

 

[goodeats]

I don't find anything remotely impressive about perfect attendance. It just encourages kids to go to school sick. There's nothing wrong with occasionally missing a day of school (or work!).