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.
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.
