During the height of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism spiked at 10 million students, meaning more than 20% of students in the country missed out on at least 10% of the 2020-21 school year. While Covid itself has become less of a problem for school districts, absenteeism still persists. Fortunately, there are simple steps administrators can take to mitigate this risk.
Consistent—and positive—communication between a school and a child’s family has a profound impact on a student’s academic experience, according to an article by the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teacher’s union in America. One common mistake schools make, they write, is that families only hear from teachers or administrators when there’s bad news to share about their child, inevitably discouraging the student and the family’s engagement.
Proper two-way communication is “necessary for your students’ success,” the article reads, and here’s what it looks like:
- Parent conferences
- Parent-teacher organizations
- Weekly/monthly folders of students’ work for parents to review and comment
- Frequent phone calls
- E-mail or opportunities to comment on school websites
With that said, new research reveals just how impactful strategies like these are on a student’s attendance.
On Tuesday, School Innovations and Achievement (SI&A), unveiled its findings from its “Chronic Absence Patterns Across California Schools” analysis. California is also one of three states that saw the steepest increases in chronic absenteeism in 2021-22. The analysis of nearly 325,000 PK-12 students across 30 school districts in California reveals such systematic interventions are consistent with improved student attendance.
For instance, the data shows that districts, such as the Sanger Unified School District, that utilize data-driven solutions to track and manage student attendance saw improved levels of student attendance as their rate of chronic absenteeism decreased from 31% to 17% from 2022-23.
“We know that school attendance is the number one predictor of student success, which underscores the urgency of finding effective interventions for the growing rate of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools,” SI&A National Education Manager Erica Peterson said in a statement. “Interventions focused on areas such as school-home communication and relationship building need to be prioritized as districts work to support good attendance habits and get students back on track academically.”
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Recommendations for K12 schools
Whether you rely on your teachers or building administrators to communicate with families, SI&A offers four considerations for districts looking to address student absenteeism through school-home communication:
- Clearly communicate the school’s vision for the school year ahead and what it means to be successful.
- Share data and positive messaging about the importance of good attendance habits.
- Address language and technology barriers to ensure attendance communications are reaching all families.
- Schedule regular assessments of attendance data and make courses along the way as necessary.
