Skip to content

Attendance Resources for Schools

We're Better When You're Here

Table of Contents

PLEASE NOTE: This page is under construction and is subject to change.

Chronic Absence

Schools-Taking Action to Address Chronic Absence

Resources

Research

News

  • Defining the Terms of Chronic Absence
  • Meeting the Challenge of Chronic Absence
  • School Connectedness
  • Building Community Resources
  • Family Engagement Strategies to Increase Attendance
  • Tiered Approach to Chronic Absence
  • Funding
  • Strategic & School Plan, Integrating Attendance
  • Communication
  • Attendance MTSS Structure
  • Attendance Laws, District Policy, Procedures, and Codes
  • Toolkits & Guidebooks
  • Assessment Tools
  • School Break Resources
  • Attendance Team Resources
  • Attendance Letters
  • Attendance Flowchart & Resources
  • Foundational/Prevention Supports
  • Problem Solving Root Causes of Absenteeism
  • Tiered Attendance Resources
  • Survey Quick Links
  • Panorama & Attendance
  • Resources for Teachers & Support Staff
  • Communication with Families
  • September Attendance Awareness Month Resources
  • Attendance Campaign Resources
  • Social Media Resources

.

 

Defining Terms

What is Chronic Absence?

Chronic absence measures lost learning time and has been defined as missing 10% or more of the total number of days enrolled in school per year for any reason– excused, unexcused, or out of school suspension. Being chronically absent impacts students negatively. Research shows these students tend to have difficulty reading on grade level by third grade, succeeding in middle school, and graduating from high school. Missing only two days a month can put a student at risk for being chronically absent.

What is Chronic Absence?

What is the Difference Between Truancy & Chronic Absence?

Truancy only counts unexcused absences, emphasizes individual compliance with school rules and uses legal, usually more blaming and punitive solutions. Whereas chronic absence counts all absences, excused, unexcused, and suspensions. Chronic absence emphasizes the academic impact of days missed and the benefits of being present. Often preventative, problem solving and trauma-sensitive strategies are used to address chronic absence. Focusing on chronic absence can also cultivate family and student engagement.

The difference between chronic absence and truancy.

Why Can't Schools Just Monitor Average Daily Attendance?

Average Daily Attendance is measured on a school level and shows the total hours all students attended school divided by the total hours all students could have attended the school year. Average daily attendance is measured on a school level versus a student level and tends to mask individual student chronic absence making it difficult to see when a school or district has an attendance issue. Average daily attendance is beneficial for identifying some issues with attendance, such as aggregate data at certain points of time such as half days, holidays and bad weather.

Defining Absence Terms: Average Daily Attendance, Truancy, and Chronic Absence

Who is Affected by Chronic Absence?

The "ripple effect" of chronic absence refers to the far-reaching, cascading consequences of a student frequently missing school, impacting not only their own academic performance but also disrupting the learning environment for classmates, straining teacher resources, and potentially leading to long-term negative outcomes like dropping out of school, ultimately affecting the entire community and workforce.

Meeting the Challenge of Chronic Absenteeism

What Does it Mean to Meet the Challenge of Chronic Absenteeism?

"Meeting the chronic absence challenge" is actively implementing strategies and interventions aimed at significantly reducing the rate of chronic absenteeism in schools, typically by addressing the root causes of students missing large portions of school days through a comprehensive approach that involves collaboration with families, community support, and early intervention methods.

roadmap

Five outlined steps to guide you.

 

 

School Connectedness is Key!

What is School Connectedness?

"School connectedness is the belief held by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals." Schools cant take action and help students feel connected at school.

Why is School Connectedness Important?

When youth feel a sense of belonging or connection to their school they are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, have better academic achievement, such as higher grades and test scores, better attendance and stay in school longer. In addition, students who are connected to school are less likely to experience:

    • poor mental health
    • substance abuse
    • violence
    • sexual health risks

American Psychological Association. (2014). School connectedness. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/school-connectedness#:~:text=Students%20who%20feel%20connected%20to,and%20stay%20in%20school%20longer.

Steps You Can Take to Increase Student Connectedness at Your School

School Connectedness as a Universal Prevention StrategyThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that schools use the following strategies to increase students’ feelings of connectedness to school.

  1. Create decision-making processes that facilitate student, family and community engagement, academic achievement and staff empowerment.
  2. Provide education and opportunities to enable families to be actively involved in their children’s academic and school life.
  3. Provide students with the academic, emotional and social skills necessary to be actively engaged in school.
  4. Use effective classroom management and teaching methods to foster a positive learning environment.
  5. Provide professional development and support for teachers and other school staff to enable them to meet the diverse cognitive, emotional and social needs of children and adolescents.
  6. Create trusting and caring relationships that promote open communication among administrators, teachers, staff, students, families and communities.

School Connectedness-White House Summit 2024

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Resources and Research About School Connectedness 

Building Community

Family Engagement Strategies to Combat Chronic Absenteeism

Tiered Approach to Chronic Absence

Positive Conditions for Learning - graphic - WITH Title

Success Stories-Using a Tiered Approach for Attendance

Funding 

Strategic and School Plan

Communication 

Attendance MTSS Structure

Policy, Procedure & Codes

Toolkits & Guidebooks

 

Assessment Tools

Attendance Team Resources

Attendance Letters-(*Note-These are the same as the templates on Skyward)

Attendance Flowcharts

Foundational/Prevention Support 

Foundational supports that promote positive conditions for learning.

  • Effective Practices Include: 
    • Increase school connectedness-very effective universal prevention measure 
    • Family Engagement
    • Messaging campaigns (sending the message that school is a good place to be)
    • Nudge communication with families/students (text messages and letters)

(listed during the White House - Every Day Counts Summit: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Increasing Student Engagement)

Resources

Problem Solving: Addressing Root Cause 

Effective Practices:

  • Engaging families and students in identifying root causes and solutions
  • Early warning system, MTSS, and student success systems (Panorama)
  • Success Coaches and mentors

District and School Actions:

  1. Forming strategic partnerships to provide student supports at the appropriate level (wrap around supports, mentors, tutors)
  2. Create or expand community schools
  3. Partner with city mayors to form interagency task force to improve transportation, housing, etc

Every Day Counts Summit 2024

 

Root Cause Analysis Resources

Tiered Resources

Tier I Resources

Tier 2 Resources

Tier 3 Resources

Survey Quick Links

Student & Family Surveys

Team/School Surveys

 

Panorama Attendance Resources

Resources for Teachers-

Communicating with Families

Health Guidance Information for Schools and Families

Health Information for Families

Utah Asthma Health Resources for Schools-Utah Department of Health and Human Services

National School Asthma Resources-

September Awareness Month Resources

 

 

Attendance Campaign Templates

Banner Templates

 

Attendance Pledge Template

 

Attendance Campaign Sticker Templates

Spread the Word-Social Media Resources