Attendance Awareness Campaign Update for May 1, 2025

Attendance Awareness Campaign Update

A project led by Attendance Works

May 1, 2025

Engagement Until the End of the

School Year

Keep all students engaged and attending regularly as school wraps up by providing fun, engaging end-of-the-year activities such as field days, learning games, collaborative projects and dances. Consider offering an activity that promotes creativity and a sense of closure. Edutopia has compiled a short list of end-of-year activities for elementary students and for those in middle and high school.

Communicate the importance of student attendance in the last weeks of school and acknowledge attendance successes. Download our Template Attendance Certificate for elementary students (tailor it for good or improved attendance and add your school logo!)

We're updating the AAC resources (in English and many in Spanish) with the 2025 slogan Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow! Find a 2025 badge to display on your website, blog, e-mail signature and social media profile pictures to help spread the word about the Attendance Awareness Campaign 2025!

Find a Facebook banner here, and download and print the updated posters for students preK-12 for your Attendance Awareness Campaign.

Our next AAC Webinar is: Health, Well-being and Safety are Essential to Showing Up, Wednesday, May 14: 12pm-1:30pm PT / 3pm–4:30pm ET Register here for this webinar!

We are thrilled that 3,940 people registered for Webinar #1 on April 2, Teams Make All the Difference for Supporting Attendance! Find the recording, presentation slides and a discussion guide on our website.

Help to Spread the Word!

🏥 Good physical & mental health matter. Join @attendanceworks on May 14, noon PT / 3 ET & hear how schools & partners are addressing barriers to showing up. #HereTodayReadyForTomorrow! @attendanceworks

🔗 Save your spot: https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/

Donate now

You are our Foundation! We rely on contributors like you to help us keep Attendance Works resources free for everyone. Join our movement and donate today!

Attendance Tools Spotlight

Health-related absences can happen all year long! Share our handout for families to help them decide when to send a child to school if they show signs of illness or how they can help support a student who may have anxiety. We’ve also developed tips for keeping students healthy, for families and for educators and community partners.

Education Commission of the States released a new resource that explores six ways in which schools support student health, and the ways in which state policy can create conditions for this support. Learn more.

National Summer Learning Week is July 14–18! Summer learning programs can help improve attendance and engagement. View the National Summer Learning Association’s Family Resource Guide with tips from leading education and youth-serving organizations for developing a summer enrichment plan.

Download a list of resources and watch short videos from the 2025 Summer Planning Bootcamp with ideas for how to create a quality summer learning program.

Are you finding success in reducing chronic absence? EveryDay Labs is celebrating school districts and educators who work tirelessly to improve attendance. Winners receive a cash award! Submit an online application by May 15 to nominate your district (or another district).

Professional Development

The Attendance Works virtual three-part training series for educators is here to help! You and your team will: Leave with proven, evidence-based tiered strategies; learn which attendance measures to monitor to identify students in need of engagement and support; interact with peers and the Attendance Works team in breakout rooms. Register today!

New Research

A survey, by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, found 53% of parents are mostly likely to keep their child home just to be safe if it is unclear whether their child is too sick for school. Only 4% say they would call their health care provider for advice. One out of five say they would consider whether their child needs a mental health day. The results include responses from 1,300 parents with at least one child age 11-18 attending junior high or high school.

Partner News

We’re delighted to note that IEL Chief Programs Officer Kwesi Rollins, and Attendance Works advisory board chair, has been named the recipient of this year’s Jocelyn Graves Award from Parent Teacher Home Visits. Through his work, Rollins has focused on expanding family engagement, community schools and youth development.

Attendance in the News

Are ICE threats a factor in CT’s rising school absenteeism rates?, CTMirror, April 10, 2025

1 in 4 Students Are Chronically Absent. 3 Tools to Change That, Education Week, Apr 14, 2025

West Contra Costa makes big push to get kids to class — and raise revenue while doing it, Local News Matters, Bay Area, April 19, 2025

Campaign Convening Partners

See the full list of Attendance Awareness Partners here.

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