Not sure what to say to families about attendance? In collaboration with partners, we've developed talking points to help communicate about attendance with families in elementary through secondary school. Find talking points here.

Families of students in the very early grades might not be aware of the impact that missing too many days has on students' reading or numerical skills. Download our Family Handouts. 

Holiday Toolkit

Now is the time to begin reminding families and students why they need to follow the school schedule and avoid extending family vacations around the winter holidays. Results of a parent survey suggest that families would be willing to shorten vacations if they knew that absences are affecting their child's academic success. Consider getting this messaging out to families before they make their holiday travel arrangements. Download the Attendance Works Holiday Messaging Toolkit.

Truancy notifications that are written with simpler language and fewer words can improve their effectiveness and reduce student absences by as much as 40 percent, according to a new study by Attendance Works, Harvard University and UC Berkeley researchers. Using behavioral science insights, the team modified standard truancy notifications with clear, actionable information to help families feel empowered rather than threatened.  Find the research and sample revised notification letters.

Tweet it!

Truancy notifications that are written with simpler language and fewer words can improve their effectiveness and reduce student absences by as much as 40 percent, according to a new study by @attendanceworks, @Kennedy_School and @UCBerkeley https://www.attendanceworks.org/writing-truancy-notices-that-can-improve-attendance/ #SchoolEveryDay

The Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading partnered with Attendance Works on a series of videos showing successful strategies schools have implemented to help create a welcoming environment and ensure students are in school every day. The videos illustrate working with an attendance team; utilizing nurses, social workers and community partnerships to boost awareness; and improving school climate. Find the video series. 

Xavier Reed, an associate principal at a suburban middle school in Minnesota, says his school is working "every day to create an environment where everyone feels they belong." A main focus of this work is partnering with students' families. Teachers mail home "You Matter" postcards to every student, the school invites families in for focus groups and holds events that include childcare.  Read the full blog post from the Gates Foundation #PrincipalProject.

The deadline is almost here! The Attendance Awareness Campaign convening partners are calling on Superintendents across the country to sign on to the national Superintendents Call to Action. We will publish a press release listing all those who have signed on by October 7, 2019. Find resources to help Superintendents make their efforts a success and a sample invitation letter to join the Call!  Find out more.  

Find the webinar recording,  presentation slides, discussion guides and other resources from all four webinars on our website.  Download these resources and watch when you have the time.

• September 10:  A Place Where We Belong: Improving Conditions for Learning
• August 8:  Open Doors: Create a Healthy School Climate
• May 16:  Nurture Dreams: Ensure Students Feel Safe, Supported, Connected and Engaged
• March 21:  Lay a Foundation: Engage Families to Address Chronic Absence in the Early Years

Announcing our new Attendance Awareness Picture Frames!  Find two new frames created by Attendance Works, using keywords chronic absence, chronic absenteeism, we belong in school or attendance awareness. Try It! 

We are looking for your Attendance Awareness Campaign stories and images that show how you engaged people around school attendance with the start of the new school year. Please send us your photos or graphics and a brief description of your activities using the form on our Attendance Awareness Campaign website, and we will post it! Learn more.

Opinion: School attendance matters; A lot! Times Republican, September 21, 2019