GOAL Digital Academy, a leader in quality online education, is proud to announce its participation in Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide initiative dedicated to emphasizing the importance of regular school attendance for students' academic success. This September, GOAL is taking a proactive approach to inspire students, parents, and the community to recognize the critical role that attendance plays in shaping the future of our students.
Attendance Coordinator, Stephanie Andrews stated, “We want to have a proactive approach to communicating with our students at the beginning of the school year with positive messaging to the population that puts focus on reducing barriers to education by offering additional resources to be successful at GOAL.” The Attendance department has released an Attendance Tip Sheet that encourages students to set clear attendance goals and commit to them with the following guidelines:
Log Daily Attendance: Use the Student Attendance System to log your school hours daily. Attendance for the week must be logged and recorded by Sunday at midnight. Students should complete a minimum of 5 hours and 15 minutes of schoolwork each day, with no more than 10 hours in any one day. Students must have a total of 26 hours and 15 minutes of logged learning opportunities each full school week.
Prioritize Active Participation: Actively participate in online discussions, forums, and virtual classrooms. Share your thoughts, ask questions, and respond to your peers' ideas. Active participation keeps you engaged and invested in your education.
Establish a Routine: Create a daily or weekly schedule that includes dedicated time for attending classes, completing assignments, and logging attendance. Consistency is key to success in an online environment.
Stay Connected: Reach out to your Educational Advocate, Teachers, and Mentors through online platforms, email, or discussion boards. Educational advocates play a pivotal role in supporting students, including enhancing attendance, by offering individualized strategies, addressing challenges, and collaborating with students to create a conducive learning environment that promotes regular and engaged participation.
Manage Distractions: Create a distraction-free study space and turn off notifications during class sessions to stay focused.
Stay Organized: Use digital tools like calendars, to-do lists, or task managers to stay organized and track important class dates and times.
Communicate Challenges: If life circumstances impact your attendance, communicate with your Educational Advocate, Teachers, or school staff for support and guidance.
Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge your attendance milestones and celebrate your progress. Reward yourself for meeting your attendance goals.
In addition to new literature being sent out to students and their families, GOAL has made great strides with its Student Attendance System, launching a user-friendly interface to easily log participation hours consistently. GOAL Software developer, Ryan Hontz designed the dashboard as a highly visual representation of student attendance with calculations daily, weekly, and quarterly making it easy to enter, track, and maintain attendance efficiently. It allows students a summative glance at their requirements, gives them access to the school's Canvas Learning Management System, and provides a quick contact button for them to message their Educational Advocates when problems arise.
The Student Attendance System
“Our goal is to provide the best possible outcome for all students. The Attendance Department’s mission is to break down the barriers of why students are not coming to school. They work tirelessly with parents, students, and staff members to provide support and community resources. Once
the students feel supported, academic
success will follow.”
Principal, Jeff Grimmett
GOAL Digital Academy firmly believes that regular attendance is the foundation for academic achievement and a successful future. By actively participating in Attendance Awareness Month, the school aims to instill a culture of punctuality and responsibility among students while fostering strong partnerships with parents and the community.
Superintendent, Tish Jenkins says “GOAL has prioritized improving attendance as part of the strategic plan in a variety of ways. We strive to be a place where parents or guardians and students feel welcome and respected by nurturing our environment which enables students to feel successful in something — no matter how small. We reward and recognize good attendance, not just “perfect” attendance, and provide mentors to all students to help them overcome obstacles to school success.”
For more information about GOAL’s participation in Attendance Awareness Month or to schedule a meeting with school representatives, please contact attendance@mygda.org.
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