A Note from the Executive Director

As 2024 comes to a close, we celebrate the remarkable progress made since the peak of the attendance crisis. National data show chronic absence is starting to decrease. California, for example, just announced a drop in its statewide chronic absence rate to about 20%, from a peak of 30% in 2022. 

We’re building a national bipartisan effort to reduce chronic absence by 50% in five years, and 14 states from red and blue regions and the District of Columbia have already signed on.  

And we continue to see examples of success in schools and districts that demonstrate what is possible, especially when we move away from punitive responses. Educators at Watonga High School in Oklahoma, for example, are building relationships and improving attendance with Native American youth. 

This work doesn’t happen without individuals who are determined to get students back in school so they can learn and thrive. I’m grateful for the challenging work you do every day, especially as we all adjust to and grapple with the lingering effects of the pandemic. Together we are moving the needle on chronic absence. 

Sending my best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday filled with family, friends and some quiet time!

Warmly, 

Hedy Chang

Founder and Executive Director

Early winter marks another key time for early intervention for reducing chronic absence. Identify the students with moderate chronic absence who need slightly more support to prevent them from falling into chronic absence. Implement Tier 2 strategies that include personal outreach and attendance plans that address barriers and support from mentors.

Absenteeism often spikes in the winter months, as holiday travel, bad weather and illness conspire to keep students home from school. We’ve developed messaging and sample letters to send home around the holidays.

We’ve also developed Stay the Course: Support Attendance in the Winter Months for districts, schools and communities. Find sample letters to send home, tips for activities and strategies to overcome weather-related barriers that stand in the way of getting children to school. 

Consider taking a moment before you begin the next semester to take stock of your year-long plan and begin anticipating what you will need to do during the spring when attendance also can lag. We’ve developed a sample letter to send home and ideas for activities that make school hard to miss during the spring months. Find all of our messaging materials on this website page.

Are you struggling to improve attendance for large numbers of students? Learn how to create a team focused on implementing a three-tiered approach that can move the needle by participating in our three-part e-training for educators. Register here.

The On Track to Career Success (OTCS) project is collaborating with schools and communities to support high school graduation, post-secondary schooling and/or training and a career with a family-supporting wage. Learn more in the Everyone Graduates Center’s Co-Designing with Students, which includes actions designed to work for all students.

Researchers looked into whether it is more challenging for teachers to enjoy the very function of their jobs as a result of student absenteeism, and found that teacher satisfaction drops steadily as absenteeism increases. Read the new study published in Education Researcher, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.

We presented during the webinar, Eliminating Chronic Absence  during the Learning Policy Institute’s four-part webinar series December 3-12. View the recording.

Healthy Schools Campaign, AFT and Mental Health America held a webinar on December 10 to discuss how all states, no matter their expansion status, can leverage school Medicaid to improve access to essential physical, behavioral and mental health services. View the recording here.

Get a sneak peek at the Elements of Effective practice for Mentoring 5th Edition. This updated 5th edition offers expanded content based on new research. Register for the December 17th webinar. 

Did you miss Uniting Schools & Families to Get Students Back into the Attendance Habit co-sponsored by Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Learning Heroes and Attendance Works? View the recording and find presentation slides and resources.

Attendance is a bright spot in the latest California School Dashboard, Stocktonia, December 4, 2024

How some Minnesota schools are tackling chronic absenteeism, The Minnesota Star Tribune, December 6, 2024

Student attendance and absenteeism rates improving for most Kent County schools, MLive, December 7, 2024

Together, we’re making progress. Please donate today to ensure that we have what it takes to continue providing you with resources designed to help students show up to school every day possible.