Attendance Awareness Campaign Update
A project led by Attendance Works
June 11, 2021
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Use Data to Drive
Decisions and Actions!
Learning disruptions due to Covid-19 have made it clear that paying attention to attendance and chronic absence is essential to ensuring an equal opportunity for students to learn, thrive and achieve their full potential.
Chronic absence data is one of the best available resources for identifying which students, (groups as well as individuals), have lost out on learning in school during the pandemic. This data is critical for determining where outreach and support during the summer and in the fall is most needed.
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Do you benefit from our easy-to-use online resources? Please help make it possible for us to continue to offer materials at no charge. Donate here.
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Chronic Absence Patterns and Prediction During Covid-19: Insights from Connecticut, a new report by Attendance Works and the Connecticut State Department of Education, shows that more than 20% of all students were chronically absent compared to 12% last year. It reveals that 9th graders, as well as our younger students, especially struggled with attendance in distance learning. Chronic absence was especially high among Black and Latino students and students living in poverty.
The report details how Connecticut consistently collected and released attendance data during the pandemic and offers key findings that are being used to inform the state’s Covid-19 educational recovery efforts. It discusses the critical need for states and localities to upgrade data systems now to ensure chronic absence data serves as a diagnostic tool for the next school year. View the report.
Tweet It!
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Everyone can notice when absences start adding up and ensure steps are taken to address attendance barriers. This is even more vital as students return to school this fall. The Key Messages for 2021 are updated to support this year’s theme, Rebound with Attendance! View and download a copy.
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New Free Webinar! Our next webinar will discuss approaches for welcoming families and staff back to school in the fall, and that promote the routine of attendance. Register Today! Welcomed: Embracing Students, Families and Educators in the New School Year, Wednesday, August 4, 2021: 11am-12:30pm PT / 2pm–3:30pm ET.
Share our social media messages (below) about the webinar!
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NEW Professional Development! We are now offering a highly-rated, three-part e-training for educators. Learn from the Attendance Works team how to implement strategies that create a climate that encourages attendance and participation, provide extra support for students who need it, mobilize school staff and community partners and take stock to assess your progress. We've opened new dates in August and September for the series tailored for California. Register here!
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The National Summer Learning Association has a new search engine that empowers families to discover summer programs, both in-person and virtual, right in their community. It provides easy access to resources from leading youth organizations to keep the learning going. Take a look at Discover Summer.
The SoLD Alliance has released Design Principles for Schools: Putting the Science of Learning and Development into Action. This playbook, for K-12 educators and youth-serving professionals, offers a focus on whole child education. Find the playbook.
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Policy News
The U.S. Department of Education’s New FAQ offers helpful guidance on using Covid-19 relief funds for implementing data-driven strategies that address chronic absence, and for developing new data quality systems. Download, Frequently Asked Questions: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Programs and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Programs.
View FutureEd’s June 8 webinar, during which national experts, including Attendance Works, discuss the chronic absence challenge, its consequences, and strategies for using federal Covid-19 relief aid to address it. Watch the webinar.
We’ve reviewed the federal Covid-19 relief funds to find those that can be used to support attendance and engagement activities. Learn more in our blog post.
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State News
State departments of education are especially well-positioned to make a difference with attendance and chronic absence data because they can identify trends and convene stakeholders to develop and implement meaningful solutions. Why does chronic absence matter for states as they implement their federal funding relief plans? Read our blog post, How States Can Rebound with Attendance during Covid Recovery.
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Research
FutureEd and EveryDay Labs analyzed attendance data from five school districts enrolling a total of nearly 450,000 students. The analysis finds spiraling rates of absenteeism that could have devastating consequences for student learning. Find the report, Present Danger: Solving the Deepening Student Absenteeism Crisis.
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A survey from the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University (TERA) finds that more students were chronically absent this fall than in previous years, and absenteeism increased the most among English learners, students of color and students who are economically disadvantaged. Download the brief, Schooling During COVID-19: Fall Semester Trends from Six Tennessee Districts.
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Webinars
Join us for the June 16 webinar, Addressing Chronic Absenteeism: How Data Interoperability Enables Districts to Capture Student Attendance. Learn how integrating data across systems can help educators identify students who should be prioritized for additional supports. Register here!
Over 4,100 registered for AAC Webinar #2, Engaged: Using Summer to Connect with Students and Families, on May 26. Download the presentation slides, a discussion guide and view the webinar recording! All found on our website.
Find the same materials for AAC Webinar #1, Committed: Supporting Attendance and Participation to the Very Last Day of School, held on April 14.
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Welcome Corporate Sponsors!
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Spread the Word!
Sample Tweets
Save the date for the 3rd webinar of the 2021 Attendance Awareness Campaign on August 4th! Speakers will discuss how they promote attendance routines during the fall's back to school. More details to come from @attendanceworks! Register: https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/ #SchoolEveryDay
Join us August 4 at 2:00pm ET for AAC webinar #3, "Welcomed: Embracing Students, Families and Educators in the New School Year.” Learn tips for welcoming students, families & staff, promoting attendance & amplifying rituals. https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/ #SchoolEveryDay
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Campaign Convening Partners
See the full list of Attendance Awareness Partners here.
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Attendance Works is a non-profit, national and state initiative. Our mission is to advance student success and reduce equity gaps by addressing chronic absence. Find free downloadable resources, research, consulting services and more on our website: www.attendanceworks.org
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Copyright © 2021 Attendance Works, All rights reserved
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