More Research and Expert Opinion

Poor attendance is a major hurdle to student success nationwide. But without every team member committed to improving attendance, getting more students back in class can be especially challenging. How can you engage an already thinly stretched team in attendance improvement? In this post, we’ll explore four ways to inspire educators across your entire district to feel invested in attendance improvement. From more accessible ways to leverage data to strategic partnerships, getting everyone on board with better attendance just got a little bit easier.

Chronic absenteeism is a tremendous challenge facing educators, families, and students across the country, and educators like you are already working overtime to try and bring more students back into class. After all, we know that good attendance is closely correlated to better academic outcomes, higher graduation rates, and stronger connections to peers and educators. However, not all families and students are convinced that attending school regularly actually makes a difference. It’s never too late to change the narrative and effectively build a culture of attendance in your school and district. In this post, we’ll explore five questions to consider as you help families understand the importance of attendance to their student’s success in school and beyond. 

In the face of unprecedented absenteeism, educators across the country are trying out all kinds of campaigns, competitions, and committees to motivate their students and families to attend school more regularly. Some work better than others, and some even work much better than expected! Our friends at Berkeley Unified School District and Semitropic Elementary School shared some fun and effective attendance incentives that you might want to try at your district!

So much of learning recovery hinges on better student attendance. But among competing priorities, is addressing absenteeism rising to the top of your list? Taking a closer look at both your average daily attendance and chronic absenteeism rates is essential. Without a holistic view of the numbers, it’s hard to grasp a full understanding of the challenge, and building a strong strategy to properly address it is just downright impossible. In this post, we’ll explore four strategies for improving student outcomes through a lens of attendance & data insights.

The Spring Slide refers to the lower attendance and loss of academic progress that can occur as students become distracted with warmer weather and the fast approaching end to the school year. But all hope is not lost. There are plenty of initiatives and campaigns you can try to beat the spring slide and ensure that students continue to attend and engage in learning through the end of school year. Read on to discover five strategies to beat the Spring Slide, including some bonus tips that you can leverage throughout the year from our partners at Elk Hills School District in California!