Nearly 7.5 Million U.S. Students are Chronically Absent, Missing 18
or More Days of School Each Year
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 7.5
million students (K – 12th grade) are chronically absent
every school year – missing enough school to put them at severe
risk of dropping out or failing to graduate. Chronic absenteeism,
which is defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a
given year, or about 18 days, affects the educational outcomes of
millions of students. In order to inspire parents of 5th
through 8th graders to recognize the crucial role
regular attendance, even in the early years, plays in high school
graduation, the U.S. Army and the Ad Council are unveiling a new
series of public service advertisements (PSAs) created pro
bono by advertising agency Publicis Kaplan Thaler.
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Every absence, in any grade – excused or not – can impact a
child's academic achievement. As early as 6th grade, missing 18 or
more days of school in a year puts a child's high school graduation
at-risk. Missing just two days every month of the school
year can allow a child to fall behind, increasing the likelihood of
dropping out.
"The U.S. Army recognizes the immense importance of having an
educated public and is deeply committed to programs that benefit
America's youth," said Mark Davis,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Marketing/Director, Army
Marketing and Research Group. "We are proud to further our
collaboration with the Ad Council to launch these new PSAs on
behalf of the BoostUp campaign, continuing our efforts to raise
awareness about the dropout crisis and motivate parents to take
action on behalf of their children's education."
Research shows that students who attend school regularly in
their early school years are more likely to learn to read well by
the critical third grade milestone, score higher on standardized
tests, and graduate and go on to college than students who are
chronically absent. Education is crucial to breaking the cycle of
poverty, however chronic absenteeism is most prevalent among
low-income students. Regular attendance in lower grades is just as
important as it is in later years to ensure that a student stays on
the path toward graduation.
"A day here or a day there may not seem like a lot, but when you
add those absences up, there can be dire consequences," said
Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of
the Ad Council. "We hope this PSA campaign will shine a light on
the problem of chronic absenteeism and educate parents about the
importance of their children attending school every day in order
for them to succeed academically and stay on the path toward high
school graduation."
The new English and Spanish-language PSAs ask parents to look at
the influence they have over their children's attendance reminding
them that every day missed, excused or not, even in middle school,
puts their kids' graduation at risk. Another, community-targeted
execution beautifully illustrates the staggering fact that 7,000
high school students drop out every school day by showing thousands
of graduation caps falling from the sky. All audiences are directed
to the campaign website BoostUp.org to find out how to help the
students in their communities succeed and graduate.
"For us, it's important that we aren't simply ad guys, but
citizens. And BoostUp is an initiative that is incredibly important
to us. We hire young people all of the time. And because of that,
there is no greater importance for us than to make sure young
people stay in school and keep themselves competitive and prepared
for their careers," said Rob
Feakins, Publicis Kaplan Thaler Chief Creative
Officer/President.
BoostUp.org offers an assortment of information, resources and
ways to get involved including state-by-state dropout statistics,
real student stories and information about why students drop out of
school and how to help. Parents can access an attendance
calculator, courtesy of Get Schooled, where they can chart the
impact of their children's absences on their education. Visitors
can also give students a boost by submitting a text or video
message of support on Boost Nation, a microsite developed in
collaboration with the 26 Seconds BMOR campaign. NFL Philadelphia
Eagles' player David Simms is
the latest athlete to upload a video on Boost Nation, to show
students across the country that he cares that they stay in school
and graduate.
"My mother strongly encouraged me to pursue my education, and
with caring people in your life, you can reach your goals," said
David Sims safety for the
Philadelphia Eagles. "That's why it's important we all do our
part to inspire at-risk students stay motivated to keep their eyes
on the prize and graduate from high school. Give students a 'boost'
to show your support them and let them know you believe in
them."
Also kicking off today is a social media program designed to
further extend the reach of the campaign messages in the online
space. Parents, adult influencers, teachers, educational
organizations, and advocates are invited to get involved with the
BoostUp campaign at BoostUp.AdCouncil.org.
Since its launch in 2000, the Army and Ad Council's High School
Dropout Prevention campaign has received nearly $657 million in donated media across television,
radio, outdoor, print and digital. Per the Ad Council's model, the
PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated
by the media.
U.S. Army
Education is a top-priority public service
issue for the U.S. Army. In 2000, they partnered with the Ad
Council to start "Operation Graduation." This was a national
campaign to motivate and encourage students to graduate high
school. In 2006, the Ad Council and the U.S. Army launched BoostUp,
a new approach to this dropout prevention campaign. BoostUp targets
adults that are interested in their community or in education, as
well as parents and peers of at-risk students and connects them to
opportunities to provide students with the support they need to
stay in school and graduate. To find out more about the US Army go
to www.goarmy.com.
The Advertising Council
The Ad Council is a non-profit organization with a rich history of
marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media
industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.
Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the
most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has
effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by
raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives. To learn
more about the Ad Council and its campaigns,
visit www.adcouncil.org. You can also visit
http://www.facebook.com/adcouncil or follow the Ad Council on
Twitter @AdCouncil.
Publicis Kaplan Thaler
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is change. You can either adapt to change, ignore it, or lead it.
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SOURCE The Ad Council