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What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
Why aren’t students coming to school?

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Presenter

Charmaine is a graduate of Winston Salem State University and has a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. She is currently pursuing certification in Educational Leadership and Administration. Charmaine is a passionate English and Language Arts Educator. She leads a life dedicated to being an advocate for students and colleagues and she has over 12 years of experience in Education.


Charmaine is the founder of The Controlled Chaos Academy, which is an interactive Classroom Management Bootcamp for Educators! This program
focuses on building community through transformative learning experiences that translate into tangible academic growth!

About the Event

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Register Now

About the Event

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Why aren’t students coming to school?

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Learn more about the author, 
Charmaine Williams
 
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Why aren’t students coming to school?

What will make students who rarely show up…want to show up? 

Young students that are chronically absent are less likely to read on grade level and more likely to get suspended when they are present for school as a result. This cycle continues throughout school as students age and eventually means the student is less likely to graduate.

So what can do about it? Some things are out of our control. Let's focus here on the things that we can control. We can create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and productive for our students. We can also provide incentives for those that do attend regularly. 

As school leaders, we can create attendance incentives for our students to come to school and we can craft our school culture into one that is an incentive all on its own.

What are Student Attendance Incentives?

Teachers and administrators constantly search for ways to encourage students to attend school. The connection between attendance and student success is massive.  Student attendance often speaks to mastery of content, building relationships, and giving students a sense of belonging. 

An attendance incentive rewards or recognizes an individual or group for having good attendance. It can be used to encourage people to show up to work or school regularly and to improve their overall attendance record.

Attendance incentives can be tangible or non-tangible and can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the individual student or group.

Why Use Attendance Incentives?

Attendance incentives can be a great way to motivate students to attend school regularly and punctually. By offering fun and appealing rewards, you can incentivize good attendance, encourage students to prioritize their education and create a positive school culture.

Attendance incentives are a way to encourage students to come to school regularly. This is important because students who miss school are more likely to fall behind academically and drop out. 

Here are some of the benefits of using attendance incentives in schools:

1. Improve academic achievement 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Students who are more likely to attend school are in turn less likely to drop out of school as well.

2. Improve behavior 

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to behave well in class. This doesn’t seem overly obvious but imagine you’re a student. If you’re absent a lot…you’re also likely behind on content. 

This means you’re going to have a hard time with new content when you are present…leading to frustration and off-task behaviors. The better your attendance is overall, the easier behavior management will become!

3. Create a positive school climate 

Attendance incentives can help to create a positive school climate where students feel valued and supported. When you make efforts like this you’re explicitly telling students “We want you here. This building is for you.”

If you are a school administrator, I encourage you to consider using attendance incentives to improve student attendance. It is a worthwhile investment that can have a positive impact on the academic and social-emotional success of your students.

For more on the social-emotional implications of attendance, check out episode 25 of The LiveSchool Podcast featuring Deedeh Newbern.

Examples of Student Attendance Incentives

There are many ways to provide incentives and reward those who come to school to try another day, no matter what is thrown at them!

1. Free Movie Tickets 

Students love gathering with friends and catching their new movies in theaters! Why not award students with free movie tickets where they can enjoy friends and be reminded that showing up for school is the real show?

Don’t want to send them to the movies? Host a special screening right on campus in your gym or cafe!

Free movie ticket attendance incentive

2. Attendance Day Party 

All you need to pull this party off is mocktails, a DJ (or a fun playlist), and finger foods! You could host a party in the gym with decorations and even ask students to wear school colors to enhance the theme. My personal favorite version of this is the classic attendance popcorn party.

Popcorn party attendance incentive

3. Shoutout 

It is nothing like hearing your name over the loudspeaker or even during the morning announcements. 

Giving students recognition for everyone to hear is guaranteed to put a smile on any student's face. You could even let them make the announcement as the designated morning meeting leader for the day!

Don’t want to embarrass your student? You could always make this a bit more low-key with a positive note or phone call home.

4. Gift Cards 

Have you ever seen a student light up after receiving a gift card to places such as fast food restaurants, stores such as Target, Amazon

5. Raffle Drawings

Hold regular raffle drawings for students with good attendance. Offer prizes, such as gift cards, school supplies, or tickets to local events. This incentive creates an element of surprise and excitement for students.

You can raffle off anything from school supplies or merch to some local sports tickets.

6. School-Wide Celebrations 

Organize special events or activities to celebrate high attendance rates. This could include a school-wide picnic, a school dance, or a school spirit day. Students can only participate if they have met the attendance requirements. 

school spirit party example

7. Recognition Assemblies 

Host monthly or quarterly recognition assemblies to honor students with outstanding attendance. Celebrate their achievements in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. You can also invite guest speakers or alumni to share their experiences and honor “The A-List”.

8. Field Trips

Plan special field trips exclusively for students with good attendance. These trips can be educational, such as visiting a museum or a science center, or recreational, like going to an amusement park. 

Low on budget? You could always take your students on a virtual field trip as well.

@whyliveschool What’s your favorite way to reward students for meeting/exceeding expectations? #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #edutok ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

Student Voice and Attendance Incentives

Involve students in planning and implementing attendance incentives. Form an attendance committee or a student council to brainstorm ideas, create posters or banners, and promote the importance of attendance throughout the school. 

Remember, while these incentives can effectively motivate students, it's crucial to ensure that they are inclusive and promote a positive learning environment for everyone. 

Additionally, it's important to continually assess the impact of these incentives and make adjustments as needed to maximize their effectiveness.

As administrators and school leaders, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure students create meaningful and memorable moments. 

We do this by incentivizing events that support student success. Need help motivating students? We created a complete guide to rewarding students to guide your work.

For more information on attendance incentives, check out Episode #37 of The LiveSchool Podcast!

Learn more about the author, 
Charmaine Williams
 

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