Establish clear rules at the beginning of the school year regarding the schools attendance and punctuality policy. Outline a clear plan on the consequences for unexcused absences and late arrivals. Be consistent with the rules, as students typically will notice otherwise.
For frequently tardy students, address the matter with the student's parent. Some parents are at fault for their child's frequent tardiness. Involve the parents by asking for their help and explaining the school policy on tardiness.
Draw up an individual contract to motivate a frequently tardy student to improve her behavior. Use a daily or weekly tardiness report card. Reward students who are obviously making an effort to reduce their tardiness with recognition. Make the subject of school attendance and punctuality an important one to give students the motivation to attend school on time.
Issue a tardy detention for continuously tardy students. Give a detention for each tardy; have the student serve the detention on breaks and after school. Send home a notice of the reason for the detention to the parents; require the student to return the notice signed by the parent.
Communicate with students and parents about how school attendance and punctuality are required to earn the credits for the class. A teacher's instructions are necessary and important for a student's learning; they should not be missed or interrupted by a student arriving late.
Begin working immediately at the time class is to start. Late students who miss only a few minutes of downtime may not see the point in arriving to class on time; however, missing important information can motivate some students to avoid being tardy.
Require late students to go to the school office and request a tardy slip before they can join the class. Keep track of each tardy and address your concerns with the student, the parent and the principal of the school. In most cases, this process is motivating for students to arrive to class on time.