Attendance Awareness Campaign Update

A project led by Attendance Works

August 28, 2025

Developing Attendance Focused Teams


Working with a team is essential for developing a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to attendance and engagement. Having a team ensures you have access to the insights and resources needed to support meaningful activities and interventions. One person can’t do it all.


If you are just starting this process, you can begin with a small group, and invite other participants over time. You can use an existing team. Regardless of the size of the team, make sure it is clear who is responsible for convening the team and setting the agenda.


Download our guidance for school and for district attendance focused teams. The guidance offers five key functions of a team that effectively address attendance, tips for organizing a team and a sample meeting agenda for teams.


Use our school team self-assessment tool to examine what would help your school(s) take a more effective approach to improving attendance. 


District and school leaders from Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee share how they formed attendance focused teams that used data-driven strategies to identify and address attendance barriers and leveraged community partners. Watch the recording of AAC Webinar #1, Teams Make All the Difference for Supporting Attendance.

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Attendance Awareness Webinars


Don’t miss the final 2025 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar, Family Engagement is the Foundation for Attendance and Learning, on Wednesday, September 24, 12 pm–1:30 pm PT / 3 pm–4:30 pm ET. Learn more and register.


If you’re just learning about the AAC webinars, you can find the recordings and materials for the first three in the 2025 series on our webinar page.


Help to spread the word! Sample social media.


👪 Families play a key role in improving school attendance! Join @attendanceworks on Wednesday, Sept 24 at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET for a free webinar: Family Engagement is the Foundation for Attendance and Learning.

🔗 Learn more and register: attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars

 #HereTodayReadyForTomorrow!

Attendance Awareness Month!


We are encouraging everyone to share the good news about regular school attendance during Attendance Awareness Month this September. We have several free resources with our 2025 theme available on the AAC website: downloadable posters, 2025 social media images and sample messages and the 2025 badge.


We will watch for your celebrations and amplify when we can. If you’d like to send us a sentence or two and a photo about your local Attendance Awareness Month celebration, email them to info@attendanceworks.org


Has your local leader declared that September is Attendance Awareness Month? Download and share the sample proclamation with your mayor, school board, superintendent or local community leaders. The template can be easily tailored for local conditions. 

Attendance Tool Spotlight


Panorama Education has created Chronic Absenteeism Survey Topics and Check-In Questions to help you hear from students and families. The resource highlights how factors like school climate, safety, and engagement can impact absenteeism by as much as 22%. You must provide your email address to download the guide.

The 50% Challenge


California and Georgia recently joined The 50% Challenge to reduce chronic absence, bringing the total number of participants to 16 states plus Washington, D.C. When combined, these states educate one-third of the public school students in the US. 


Just under 2,000 individuals registered to watch last week’s event with state, district and community leaders sharing how they are reducing chronic absence. View the event recording, or read the article in The74, K-12 Chronic Absenteeism Rates Down From Peak, But Remain Persistently High.

State News


The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is committed to reducing chronic absence by 50% using a comprehensive strategy rooted in prevention, partnership and purpose. Read our case study detailing the statewide programs as well as district and school level success stories. 

Event Spotlight


Join SchoolHouse Connection on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 for Youth On Their Own: Supporting Unaccompanied Students. This webinar will cover common questions and share proven strategies to help unaccompanied youth enroll, stay engaged and graduate.

District Leadership PD


Struggling with chronic absence in your school or district? Our fall virtual training series offers practical support using a team approach at every school. Secure your spot today for our E-Learning Series for Educators.

Partner Spotlight


FutureEd is an independent, solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Its areas of study include chronic absenteeism in state accountability systems.


FutureEd analyzed 2023-24 national data to find that 12th and 9th graders missed the most school, followed by kindergarteners. Read Chronic Student Absenteeism Varies Sharply by Grade Level


Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making schools healthier places for all students. HSC provides leadership development and tools to school stakeholders and advocates for better access to nutritious school food, physical activity, school health resources and clean air to shape children’s lifelong learning and health.


In a new nationwide survey of district leaders, HSC found that potential cuts to Medicaid under consideration in Congress would lead to poorer student health outcomes, declining academic performance and increased absenteeism. Read Medicaid Cuts Could Lead to Increases in Chronic Absenteeism.

Campaign Convening Partners

See the full list of Attendance Awareness Partners here.

Campaign Sponsors

Attendance in the News


Proof Points: 7 insights about chronic absenteeism, a new normal for American schools, The Hechinger Report, August 4, 2025


Immigration raid fears trigger Latino student absences as experts warn of consequences, NBC, August 6, 2025


Getting Kids Back to Class: How schools are tackling chronic absenteeism, National Education Association, August 7, 2025

Attendance Works is a non-profit, national and state initiative. Our mission is to advance success in school and beyond for all students by reducing chronic absence. Find free downloadable resources, research, consulting services and more on our website: www.attendanceworks.org


For more information contact: info@attendanceworks.org

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