Did you know that the best indication that a student is at-risk for poor attendance is that he or she was chronically absent last year? Before the new school year begins, take a moment to use attendance data from last year to identify which students need additional support and encouragement as they enter the new school year. Ask your district for chronic absence data and if they don't have it, encourage them to use our free District and School Attendance Tracking Tools.

Don't forget to pin your activities on the Attendance Action Map and share your work with colleagues in communities near you or in your state. We're hoping for 600 pins on the map this year. Make sure your activity is included!

A new study by The University of Texas at Austin highlights the financial effects of bullying on student attendance. In states that use average daily attendance to calculate school funding bullying can lead to the loss of millions of education dollars. For example, California alone loses an estimated $276 million annually because children feel unsafe, according to the study in School Psychology Quarterly. Read more in Education Week's blog.

Educators in states across the country are seeing that current immigration policy changes are leading to increased chronic absence. As a way to reassure parents and students that school is a safe place for learning, states and districts have posted resources to encourage immigrant students to continue getting to school every day. Find out more in our blog.