Emerging Ideas: Helping Families Understand the Importance of Attendance and Its Connection to Academic Outcomes 

Educator Research

We welcome you to proceed with using this idea. However, this idea has shown promise but needs additional testing before it can be considered a research-based change idea.

Do you want to be a part of a movement to improve outcomes for students anywhere by testing this idea and contributing to the field? Are you willing to test this idea and collect data? We are here for you.

Email thailey@schoolsthatlead.org for a simple data collection tool. Once you have successfully completed testing and submitted your data, you will have the opportunity to receive a token of appreciation from us here at Schools That Lead (Some restrictions apply).

This is a chance to improve outcomes for your students and to accelerate improvement overall!

Attendance improves when a school community offers a welcoming environment that leverages relationships with families and communicates the importance of being present. The key is developing a school-wide culture that promotes a sense of safety, respect and personal responsibility. Students need to feel connected and know that someone notices, in a caring manner, if they miss school. A key component of the engagement is helping families understand what their children are learning at school and the negative effects of chronic absenteeism. When families understand the importance of attendance and its connection to academic outcomes, the number of student absences will decrease. 

(Learn more here: https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/strategies-for-school-sites/). 

Use one of the handouts, prepared by Attendance Works to educate parents and families.  

Some possibilities:

• Send them home at the beginning of the school year
• Keep them at the front desk where students check in
• Print poster sized at the attendance desk
• Send home with attendance letters
• Share at Family Nights/Back to School Nights
• Use the messages for recorded calls home
• Include with information for students new to the school

• Research Base

  Attendance Works can be found using this link:www.attendanceworks.org.

  Attendance Works handouts are available in multiple languages and free to download/print.

  Learn More:

  Addressing Chronic Absence/Strategies for School Sites. 'https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/strategies-for-school-sites/).

• Practical Keys to Success

  Test with a smaller group (a single grade level, only kids on the Watch List, or one teacher at each grade level) to see if this idea has a positive impact in your setting.

• Measurement

  Network Data Collection Tool

  

  Record the number of students that are on the watch list for attendance before the communication. Record the details and the date of the communication effort. Record the number of students on the attendance watch list weekly. Look for changes in the number of students on the watch list after the communication is distributed over time.