I trust that many of you and your teams have transitioned back to the classroom successfully. I predict that many districts’ planning over the summer was spent addressing strategies to keep students from missing school. If your interventions touch on these key focus areas of absenteeism, you’ll likely find success.
Defining absenteeism by grade
High school students are more likely to miss school when they lack strong relationships with their teachers, report low self-efficacy and have negative experiences with their school’s climate, according to new research from Panorama Education.
Similarly, elementary students who feel safe at school are less likely to be chronically absent. For middle school students, safety and a positive school climate are linked to higher attendance.
The researchers advise leaders to conduct surveys based on these indicators to better understand how they impact absenteeism among their students. I recommend that you take a closer look at the report’s comprehensive findings.
Where are our bus drivers?
I recently reported on the issue surrounding teacher shortages and how districts are addressing their vacancies as the new school year begins. What we’re also seeing is that staff shortages are impacting school transportation, too.
According to HopSkipDrive’s state of school transportation report, 91% of school leaders have reported being impacted by bus driver shortages in 2024. These figures remain elevated and in line with last year’s data, when 92% of leaders said the same.
Sixty percent of leaders also said they’ve been forced to reduce services by cutting or shortening bus routes. Another 38% said their staff is taking time away from core responsibilities or education hours to drive buses or vans.
AI’s latest innovation: cyberattacks
I’d like to take a moment to address one of AI’s more negative consequences—aside from the traditional arguments like plagiarism and cheating. AI-powered ransomware is inevitable and superintendents should be engaging with their IT teams about ways to prepare for this looming threat.
I spoke with the vice president of cyber risk and board relations at Optiv, a cybersecurity services and solutions provider, who explained that AI would make conducting ransomware attacks much easier for less experienced hackers.
He says that eventually, AI-driven ransomware will be able to adapt in real-time by modifying malware code to avoid detection. The same tactic can be used to alter the source code of a piece of malware to avoid antivirus software-triggering rules.
You can read more about my conversation with the expert, James Turgal, here.
New from DA
As always, be sure to check out District Administration’s latest coverage, including a conversation with the CTO/COO of Brainly Bill Salak on the latest episode of “Talking Out of School.” He talks about why cell phone bans, a trend that’s gained popularity in recent months, may not be the smartest move for minimizing distractions in the classroom.
Student mental health: Teens are feeling a little better
The latest data from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that slightly fewer teens in 2023 reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, compared to two years prior.
How are teachers feeling? Here are some fresh answers
In a handful of states, leaders have asked teachers how they feel ahead of 2024-25. Here’s what they said.
End of ESSER: How to extend student-support past the deadline
Researchers share how leaders in several states are spending on student well-being—and why these initiatives should continue.
