Students who are chronically absent—missing 10 percent or more of school days annually—are at a significant risk of falling behind and not graduating. Chronic absenteeism affects all students, from kindergarten to high school, and chronically absent students lag academically and developmentally compared to their regularly attending peers.
This page features videos and resources on how schools and districts can implement multi-tiered systems of support to improve student attendance.
School District Resources
Every Student, Every Day: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Reducing Chronic Absence in Elementary School
Infographic: Data Visualization Can Help Educators Address Chronic Absence
Provides examples of data visualizations using bar charts, line graphs, and maps, explaining what the chronic absence data reveal and offering possible next steps for school and district leaders.
Using Attendance Data for Decisionmaking: Strategies for State and Local Education Agencies
Discusses the presenters’ “deep dives” into student attendance data, including understanding the reasons that students are absent and building effective interventions to address them.
School District Examples
Attendance Matters! Kerman Unified School District
Provides insight into districtwide approaches supporting chronically absent students and “whatever-it-takes” strategies that are particularly promising in the elementary grades.
Attendance Matters! Parlier Unified School District
Highlights a community “superhero campaign” that uses data, positive messaging, and intensive student and family support to reduce chronic absenteeism.
Attendance Matters! Tulare City School District
Promotes attendance by attempting to reduce common health-related absences via a handwashing campaign in Tulare City School District.
Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Every Day Counts!
Discusses the prevalence, causes, and effects of chronic absence and shows how three Utah schools improved attendance by fostering schoolwide attendance cultures, using data to track at-risk students, and providing personalized outreach and support.
More Resources on Promoting Attendance
This product was prepared under Contract ED-IES-17-C-0012 by Regional Educational Laboratory West. The content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.