Why is data quality so important? In the second blog in our series on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), we explain how the increasingly common inclusion of chronic absence as an accountability metric in state ESSA implementation plans means that states will depend on these data to identify schools that need extra support or interventions. Using chronic absence as an indicator creates opportunities to access data that informs interventions throughout the year to prevent student failure due to poor attendance. Our blog recommends steps states and districts can take to set up daily attendance-taking systems that are easy to use, hard to ignore, securely maintained, and capable of producing timely and actionable reports for educators. Read the blog.

Researchers at the University of South Florida surveyed 6th-12th grade students across the U.S. who had missed 10 percent or more school days, and found that 55.2 percent believed their absence rate was the same as or less than peers. This suggests that students may not fully be aware of their absences and how they can impact their academic achievement. Poor health, transportation and personal stress topped the list of reasons for missing school. Decreasing the level of difficulty in classwork, reducing illness and creating more engaging environments would improve attendance, the students reported. Read the study.

Pin your activities on the Attendance Action Map. Don't miss the opportunity to share what you are doing! We will award a prize to the state with the most pins and the state with the greatest increase in pins. You can share with us your photos, videos, and stories for a chance to be featured on the Attendance Awareness Month website or in the AAM newsletter. Pin today!

Check & Connect (C&C) is an evidence-based student engagement intervention at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration recognized by the What Works Clearinghouse. At the core of Check & Connect is a trusting relationship between the student and a caring, trained mentor. Hedy Chang, Executive Director of Attendance Works will be a keynote speaker at C&C's Student Engagement Conference: Connection to School, Motivation to Learn conference, October 12-13. Register by September 22.

Portraits of Change: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 ( 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ET). Join us as we discuss Portraits of Change: Aligning School and Community Resources to Reduce Chronic Absence, a new brief from Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center. Co-authors Hedy Chang and Robert Balfanz will highlight key findings from their national and state analysis of how many schools face high levels of chronic absence and discuss the implications for state and local action. Presenters will share inspiring examples of how their communities reduced chronic absence, even when it reached high levels. Register now.

Each AAM webinar in this series builds on the previous one. If you missed the first two webinars find the recording and materials on our website.

Join MENTORnational and Attendance Works for an engaging Twitter chat on how mentoring and caring adults can help reduce chronic absence and improve student achievement. Use #MentorIRL and #SchoolEveryDay to follow and engage during the conversation!

Hosts Twitter Handles to Engage: