Every Minute Matters

Improving attendance is a critical first step toward boosting student achievement in the Rochester City School District, which is the lowest-performing school districts in the state. During the 2014 school year, 28.4 percent of elementary students were chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism—defined as more than 18 absences out of 180 school days—is directly linked to educational failure.

There is a direct correlation between high absenteeism and poor performance in every measure of student achievement. Adults who were chronically truant as students, often have lower paying jobs, more reliance on welfare, poorer health, and increased likelihood of incarceration.

Every Minute in School Matters, which includes a classroom incentive program called Mighty Minutes, is a multimedia campaign that works in concert with district-wide efforts to address attendance barriers. The campaign focuses on establishing the critical link between early grade attendance and the long-term success of a child.This campaign is in partnership with Partners + Napier.