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Webinar Archives
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
In this webinar, superintendents from Columbus, Ohio, Topeka, Kansas and Livingston, California will share how they are achieving reductions in chronic absence – post-pandemic – in very different types of communities.
Speakers will share their top strategies and lessons learned about equipping schools to take a data-informed approach. They will describe how they have gained support from strategic partners and are sustaining their efforts over time. These inspiring examples will illustrate what is possible with leadership from superintendents.
You’ll hear key takeaways from recently completed research from an Ad Council Research Institute survey on how parents of K-12 students view education and school absences. The findings – and a new toolkit – will provide a deeper look into how to best develop messaging to motivate families to send their children to school in person. The findings and toolkit are most effective when used in tandem with a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to address chronic absenteeism.
Presenters:
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- Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent, Topeka Public Schools, Kansas
- Dr. Angela Chapman, Superintendent and CEO of Columbus City Schools, Ohio
- Derrick Feldmann, Managing Director, Ad Council Research Institute
- Andrés Zamora, Superintendent, Livingston Union School District, California
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
While chronic absence levels are starting to decrease in many places, rates are still much higher than pre-pandemic. Although everyone can help ensure students show up to class every day, the leadership role that a principal plays is irreplaceable.
In our third Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar, school leaders will share inspiring insights about what works to engage students and families as we continue to recover from the pandemic’s impact.
Speakers will explore how the transition to school in the fall can be leveraged to nurture engagement, nourish relationships and cultivate a routine of regular attendance. They’ll discuss how they are using lessons learned from the prior school year to inform their back-to-school strategies. We’ll also consider how schools and districts can focus on helping students stay healthy and avoid unnecessary absences. Attendance Works will share a new resource to help families decide whether their child is too sick to go to school.
Presenters:
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- John Dixon, Assistant Principal, Glenfair Elementary School, Oregon
- Dr. Elliott Attisha, Senior Fellow for Health, Attendance Works
- Kerri L. Reed, Principal, Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, Michigan
- Monica Murray, Principal, John Marshall High School, Virginia
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners for the second 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar, with the theme, Be Present, Be Powerful!
What is driving the continued high levels of chronic absenteeism, and how are the lingering effects of the pandemic affecting student and family engagement? What works to re-establish the positive conditions for learning in schools that motivate students to attend?
In this webinar we’ll explore insights learned and answers to these questions. Inspiring speakers will highlight how schools and districts can co-create meaningful solutions that build upon the insights and strengths of youth, families and community partners, including health partners.
Presenters:
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- Yolie Flores, CEO/President, Families in Schools, California
- Eric Fontanez, Supervisor of Equity Initiatives, Bethlehem Area School District, Pennsylvania
- Jill Pereira, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
- Annie Reed, Executive Director, Thriving Schools at Kaiser Permanente
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners as we kick off the 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign with the theme, Be Present, Be Powerful!
Is your community struggling with parents, caregivers and students who may not understand why showing up in person every day matters for well-being, learning and achievement? Are you leveraging the power of teachers -- who are in contact with kids every day -- to make a difference?
During this first of four Attendance Awareness Campaign webinars, we will explore how districts, principals, school staff, families and the community can assist and equip teachers to forge relationships with students and their families. We’ll share strategies that can be folded into the regular school day that will help teachers build awareness about why showing up matters. A diverse panel of teachers and school site leaders will share how teachers are making a difference and what are the conditions, including district supported health services, that allow teachers to play this frontline role.
Presenters:
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- Kaaren Andrews, National Director, Center for High School Success
- James Arndt, Principal, Camelback High School, Phoenix Union High School District, AZ
- Isis Blass, Teacher, Camelback High School, Phoenix Union High School District, AZ
- Mayte Ramirez, Principal, Campus Park Elementary, Livingston Union School District, CA
- Laura Tellez, Dual Language Academy Teacher, Campus Park Elementary, Livingston Union School District, CA
- Maria Torres-Perez, Director of Categorical Programs & Special Projects, Livingston Union School District, CA
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Schools and districts are challenged as never before with student attendance and behavior. Nearly 30% of students were chronically absent in 2021-22. Rather than operating in silos, some districts and schools are integrating their approach to attendance and behavior. Simply put, their staff work better together in meeting the needs of the whole child.
Join the National Center on PBIS, Attendance Works and a panel of educators as they share their strategies for combining efforts to create systems that support good attendance and behavior.
Presenters:
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- Jennifer Freeman, Center on PBIS and Associate Professor, University of Connecticut
- Elizabeth McNally, Interim Executive Director, Whole Child Supports, Columbus City Schools, Ohio
- Shari Straffon, Supervisor of Behavior Supports, Port Huron Schools, Michigan
- Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs, Attendance Works
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Student attendance continues to be at an all-time low throughout the country. Nearly 30% of students were chronically absent in 2021-22. School principals and other leaders have a unique role in leading school-wide efforts to boost attendance. But they can’t do this alone.
We’ll discuss the impact of chronic absenteeism on academic success and student well-being, share real-world case studies and provide practical tools for school leaders that engage teachers, staff, students, families and community partners in efforts to turn around chronic absence.
Join this webinar co-sponsored by the American Federation of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Presenters:
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- Lauran Waters-Cherry, Executive Vice President, AFSA
- Adam Schott, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, USDOE
- Victoria Simon, Principal, Aberdeen Academy, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Michigan
- Ryan Broderick, Assistant Principal, Bristol Central High School, Bristol Public Schools, Connecticut
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs, Attendance Works
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
The California Department of Education offers rich information on student absences in California schools and districts. How can educators, community partners and policy makers access key CDE reports to answer questions and drive efforts to re-engage students in learning? Join CDE and Attendance Works in this exploration of how to drive with data.
Speakers:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director and President, Attendance Works
- Cindy Kazanis, Director, Analysis, Measurement and Accountability Reporting Division
- Kimberly Mundhenk, Education Administrator, Analysis, Measurement and Accountability Reporting Division
- Caryn Lewis, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Monterey County Office of Education
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners for the fourth and final webinar for the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign with the theme, Showing Up Together!
This webinar will highlight three evidence-based practices for reducing chronic absence: home visiting, success mentoring and school nurses. Drawing upon insights from colleagues working in New York, Connecticut and Washington, we will explore how these strategies can be implemented effectively. We will also examine the role that partnerships, diverse funding sources and policy play in sustaining and expanding the work over time.
Speakers:
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- Latasha Easterling-Turnquest, M.Ed., Chief of Family Partnership & Student Engagement, Manchester Public Schools, Welcome Center
- Kari Sullivan-Custer, State Education Consultant, Attendance, Engagement, and LEAP, Connecticut State Department of Education
- Scott Hale, Principal, Johnstown Junior-Senior High School
- Amy Norton, Director of Health Services, Yakima School District
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners as we continue the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar series with the theme, Showing Up Together!
Based on data from a number of states, chronic absenteeism appears to have doubled nationwide and absence levels remain high. Moving forward with success requires purposefully rebuilding school communities that create a sense of belonging and ensure students and families receive the support they need to engage, attend and learn.
This third of four webinars will focus on creating a supportive and welcoming environment that encourages a sense of connection and community as students and families return to school. Speakers will offer strategies for reaching out to students, especially in transition grades, cultivating a school-wide culture of attendance, and ensuring positive conditions for learning are in place when school doors open. We will share a new health resource for families with clear guidance on when students should stay home and when they should attend school.
Speakers:
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- Gloria Corral, President & CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education
- Erin Helgren, Principal, Yoncalla Elementary School
- Naomi Tolentino, Coordinator of Student Support Programs, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools
- Elliott S. Attisha, MD, Senior Fellow, Attendance Works
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners as we continue the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar series with the theme, Showing Up Together!
This second of four Attendance Awareness Campaign webinars will focus on the importance of intentionally cultivating caring relationships with students and families, over time, as a crucial foundation for engagement. Speakers will explore barriers to showing up and how they are using data to determine what works given new realities.
We’ll share the newly updated Attendance Playbook, developed with FutureEd, and unveil new Count Us In! toolkit resources to support local Attendance Awareness Campaigns.
Speakers:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Yolie Flores, CEO & President, Families In Schools
- Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer, Richmond Public Schools
- Phyllis Jordan, Associate Director, FutureEd at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
- Aldo Ramirez, Associate Superintendent, Educational Services, Salinas City Elementary School District
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Join Attendance Works, the Institute for Educational Leadership and our campaign partners as we kick off the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign, with the theme, Showing Up Together! Since the beginning of the pandemic, chronic absence has doubled nationwide and affected nearly one out of three students by the end of the last school year. Early data from fall 2022 suggests it remains extraordinarily high. These continued elevated rates reflect the devastating impact on students and families from three years of disrupted learning as well as on-going health, economic and social challenges.
Changing this trajectory requires a strategic, long-term approach grounded in a deep understanding of the attendance barriers facing students and families as well as looking at data to determine where we must reinvest in positive conditions for learning.
In the first of four Attendance Awareness Campaign webinars, we’ll hear from a diverse panel of practitioners about how we can increase attendance, engagement and a sense of belonging by drawing upon the assets that are now available in schools and communities. Speakers will explore what is possible before the school year ends, and will share strategies for connecting students experiencing chronic absence to fun learning experiences that rekindle the joy of learning during the summer.
Speakers:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Dr. Pamela Cantor, Founder and Senior Science Advisor, Turnaround for Children
- Cherri Rowe, Chief Program Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas
- Jimmy Gere, Attendance Counselor, Whole Child Department, Tacoma Public Schools
- Audrey Wilson, Dean of Students, Oakland High School, Tacoma Public Schools
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Join us for the fourth and final Attendance Awareness Campaign 2022 webinar to hear about promising and proven local and state strategies for engaging students and families and reducing chronic absence.
Speakers from Connecticut, Baltimore, Maryland and the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin will share how they use data to inform action, engage local partners, and build capacity to ensure their approaches both achieve results and are sustainable. They will offer insights about how to draw upon the cultures, languages and assets of students, families and nearby communities to strengthen their interventions and programs.
Speakers:
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- Kari Sullivan Custer, Education Consultant for Chronic Absence, Attendance and Truancy, Connecticut State Department of Education
- Francisco Baires, Education Specialist - Family Engagement, Capitol Region Education Council, CT
- Wendell Waukau, Superintendent, Menominee Indian School District, WI
- Charmayne Turner, Vice President of Operations, Youth Development, The Y In Central Maryland
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
The new school year is a crucial opportunity for establishing a warm, welcoming and restorative school climate that motivates showing up to school every day. Join us for this 3rd Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar to learn about strategies that create belonging and connection for students and families. You’ll also hear about approaches that schools, districts and community partners can put in place to support the physical and emotional health and safety of students, families and school staff.
Speakers will share lessons learned and tools for helping students overcome barriers to getting to class, as well as strategies that enlist the entire school community in promoting a positive and engaging learning environment. They will show how they leveraged quantitative and qualitative data to inform action. Investing in the welcome back to school this fall is more important than ever, especially for students who faced the greatest challenges and had the least access to educational opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speakers:
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- Charles Amey, Principal, Edward Harris Jr. Middle School, Elk Grove Unified School District, CA
- Lisa Levasseur, Director, Dept. of Family and Community Engagement, Elk Grove Unified School District, CA
- Elizabeth Cook, Senior Director, Whole Child Health, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
- Karen Pittman, Partner, Knowledge to Power Catalysts
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Join Attendance Works, IEL and our campaign partners for the second webinar in our 2022 Attendance Awareness Campaign. Speakers will share lessons learned from the past year about how to keep students connected, engaged and showing up for learning.
Grounding solutions in the experiences of those most affected by educational inequities exacerbated by the pandemic is essential to recovery. During this webinar, we will hear insights gained from students, parents or caregivers, and educators about the barriers – including those related to coping with the pandemic – that they experienced over the past year. Speakers will share their views on what works to cultivate engagement and attendance, and will discuss how to support students so they participate in learning during the summer and through the fall.
Using your data is key to knowing where to invest recovery strategies. Learn how to leverage qualitative and quantitative data so you can assess whether your strategies are working and what could make them better.
Speakers:
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- Gloria Corral, President and CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego, CA
- Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer, Richmond Public Schools, VA; Ed.L.D.
- Raven Harris, Assistant Principal, MacArthur Middle School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD; M.A. Instructional Leadership; M.A. Early Childhood Education
- Kei'mon Royster, 8th grade student, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Join Attendance Works, IEL and our campaign partners as we kick off the 2022 Attendance Awareness Campaign, with the theme Stay Connected, Keep Learning! Schools, working with community partners, can strengthen relationships, social-emotional skills and promote daily attendance routines essential to student learning and well-being, especially given the challenges of the pandemic.
In this first webinar, a panel of diverse speakers from varying communities and organizations will examine how schools can leverage health services, expanded learning and a community schools approach that motivates students to be engaged and learning for the remainder of the year and throughout the summer. We will launch the 2022 Attendance Awareness Campaign and share the first installment of our NEW messaging and engagement toolkit.
Presenters:
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- Lorri Hobson, Director of Attendance, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Aaron Philip Dworkin, Chief Executive Officer, National Summer Learning Association
- Christina Sepulveda, Vice President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
The return to school this fall is more challenging than anyone could have anticipated. The surge in Covid-19 cases is increasing the number of students who miss school. In addition, families hard hit by the pandemic and poverty continue to face barriers to attending class and may also experience enrollment hesitancy. Many students, unaccustomed to showing up in person, are still establishing regular routines of going to school.
In this webinar, we explore what can be done at the local and state level to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and engage students and their families despite these difficult conditions. We’ll examine how chronic absence data can be used to identify students, families and schools that need additional support. Drawing on the experiences of the past year and proven strategies used before the pandemic, speakers share how they are making a difference. Key approaches include home visiting, relationship-building, strategic communication with families and youth, collaboration with community partners, restorative approaches and creative use of technology.
Presenters:
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- Maribel Childress, Superintendent, Gravette School District, Arkansas
- Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Charlene Russell-Tucker, Commissioner of Education, Connecticut State Department of Education
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, IEL
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
A successful return to school is essential to recovering from this past year’s unprecedented and challenging experiences. The first weeks back to school are an important time to strengthen and forge relationships, to rebuild routines and rituals, or make new ones to create community at school. Schools will need to pay attention to social and emotional wellness as well as assure families of the safety of in-person instruction. Building community at school will be especially important for students living in communities hard hit by Covid-19 and those showing up to a new school building for the first time. Schools will need to cultivate a feeling of belonging and connection for students in transition grades during the prior and upcoming school year.
Working together, educators, community partners and families can recoup and thrive, especially if they use their attendance data from the prior year to identify who needs additional outreach and assess if efforts to engage students and families are working. Our special guest speakers will discuss how a holistic approach to rebounding is more possible than ever before, given the growth of community schools, increase in school-connected health resources and availability of federal recovery funding.
Presenters:
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- Reverend Larry Simmons, Executive Director, Brightmoor Alliance; Pastor, Baber Memorial AME Church; Co-founder, Every School Day Counts Detroit
- Eric Gordon, CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Abe Fernandez, Vice President of Collective Impact & Director of National Center for Community Schools at Children's Aid
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, IEL
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Engaging students and families, especially those facing the biggest challenges from the pandemic, is essential for a successful return to school. Working together we can create a bridge to school, an intentional approach that utilizes the summer to create connection, a feeling of belonging and excitement about learning.
Join our second Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar to learn how schools, districts, public agencies and community partners can use their attendance and participation data to organize and tailor summer programming. Our speakers will share how they create opportunities for students to play and socialize with peers, engage in fun learning activities and practice the routine of showing up in person. You’ll hear about Covid-19 recovery funding to support summer programs and how to grow connections with expanded learning providers and other community partners. Summer is an ideal time to pilot and improve strategies that can be taken to scale during the year and to identify students and families who might need even more support to successfully transition to school in the fall.
Presenters:
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- Aaron Philip Dworkin, Chief Executive Officer, National Summer Learning Association
- Dr. Kristina Kyles-Smith, Executive Director, Two Rivers Public Charter School, Washington, DC
- Emily Partin, Director, Family Resource Center, Grundy County Schools, Tracy City, TN
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, IEL
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Join Attendance Works, IEL and our campaign partners as we kick off the 2021 Attendance Awareness Campaign, with the theme Rebound with Attendance! Over the past year, tens of thousands of students have lost out on significant amounts of instruction and learning opportunities, especially those in communities hardest hit by Covid-19. Our theme “Rebound with Attendance” urges schools and communities to make use of their chronic absence data to address educational inequities in their recovery planning.
Strong, trusting relationships that create a feeling of belonging for students and families, combined with the utilization of attendance data, are fundamental to improving engagement. Our featured speakers will offer their experiences, insights and pioneering practices that can be used during the last months of school to sustain and expand the participation of students and families.
You’ll get a sneak peek into Attendance Works' new engagement planning toolkit, Pathways to Engagement. Our free tools will help schools and district leaders — and their teams — put in place locally tailored strategies that ensure students, especially those experiencing the greatest challenges, show up to class so they can learn and thrive.
Presenters:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, IEL
- Robert Kraemer, Principal, and Chad Swanson, School Psychologist, Warren Street School (grades 3-6), Greater Johnstown School District, NY
- Shandria Richmond-Roberts, Principal, Harrison PreK-8 School, Pomona CA
- Marcus Strother, President and CEO, MENTOR California
- Daisy Sanchez Madrigal, Peer Mentor, CA
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ensuring students benefit from every learning opportunity is more essential than ever, especially given the educational inequities exacerbated by school closures last spring and the ongoing health and economic challenges created by Covid-19.
Our third and final 2020 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar explores how community, district and school leaders are supporting student attendance and participation, whether lessons are in person, remote or a blend. Our speakers share promising approaches used by schools, districts and communities to engage and support students and families in this initial transition to school, and discuss their strategies and the implications for sustaining positive conditions for learning throughout the academic year.
Speakers:
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- Zeke Cohen, District 1 Councilmember, Baltimore City Council, MD
- Erica Forti, Superintendent, East Haven Public School District, CT
- Fiorella Guevara, Community School Director, El Puente M.S. 50, Brooklyn, NY
- Sheri Hanni, Coordinator, Butte County Office of Education, CA
- Ben Honoroff, Principal, El Puente M.S. 50, Brooklyn, NY
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership & Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
As we begin another school year affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, districts face significant challenges to ensuring all students receive the academic and social-emotional support needed to continue learning. While these circumstances are difficult, they also present an opportunity to think differently about how to pursue an equity-centered approach to student learning. This California-focused webinar presents strategies and tools for reimagining how districts, families and community-based organizations can work together.
Speakers:
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- Gloria Corral, President & CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education
- Jennifer Kretschman, Attendance and Enrollment Specialist, Sacramento City Unified School District
- Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, Director of P-16 Education Policy, The Education Trust-West
- Tina Ochoa, Vice President of Programs, Families In Schools
- Jennifer Peck, President & CEO, Partnership for Children & Youth
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership & Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs, Attendance Works
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
The start of the 2020-21 school year will be unprecedented due to social distancing, interrupted learning, and the loss of routine experienced by every member of the school community. How can districts and schools create caring and supportive school environments, in the midst of uncertainty, that encourage students and families to attend and participate in school?
Join our second Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar to examine what it means to address the effects of trauma while helping to reestablish the routine of school, whether it is in-person, remote or a blend. Hear about what families say they need from schools and educators to support their transition to school this fall and beyond. Speakers will discuss the importance of clear communications, how strong relationships support learning and engagement, and how many of the practices designed for students and families who’ve experienced trauma are suitable for the whole school community. We’ll focus on activities and strategies educators can put in place just before and during the first month of school, and the importance of using data to inform and tailor these transition activities.
Speakers include:
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- Gloria Corral, President & CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education
- Patrick Corvington, Executive Director, ConnectED
- Gina Martinez-Keddy, Executive Director, Parent Teacher Home Visiting Project
- Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Gretchen Viglione, Sacramento Project Coordinator, Parent Teacher Home Visiting Project
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership & Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Join Attendance Works, IEL and our partners as we kick off the 2020 Attendance Awareness Campaign. Our theme “Present, Engaged and Supported” recognizes that strong, trusting relationships that create belonging are fundamental to improving student attendance and participation.
This webinar will offer insights about what you can do to prepare for the return to class in the next few months, whether learning takes place at school, virtually or in some other form. You’ll learn about Attendance Works' new transition planning materials. We will describe an expanded attendance data framework to identify which students are likely to begin the new school year significantly behind in their academic learning. We'll also describe how plans can include investments in staff health and well-being.
Speakers include:
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- Jacqueline Dungey, Principal, New Paradigm Loving Academy, Detroit, MI
- Angela Duran, Campaign Director, Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
- Beshon Smith, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Supportive Schools for Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Connection with students and families is essential to having kids show up to learning whether it takes place remotely or in a brick and mortar building. In this webinar, co-sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership, we explore strategies for developing and strengthening relationships with students and families as part of distance learning, and how educators, school staff and partners can use this time to tend to students' social and emotional needs. Our speakers discuss how they are using data to monitor participation, and how they have intervened when connections are lost or need to be reestablished. In addition, our speakers offer reflections about the educational inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, and how they will affect the transition back to school, whether lessons are virtual, in person or a blend.
Speakers include:
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- Sadiq Ali, Executive Director, Maryland MENTOR
- Gloria Corral, President and CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education
- Beth Fraster, Vice President & Chief Program Officer, Mass Mentors
- Sharon Locke, Superintendent, Naugatuck Public Schools, CT
- Ellie Mitchell, Executive Director, MOST Network
- Charlene Russell-Tucker, Deputy Commissioner of Education, Connecticut State Department of Education
- Dudney Sylla, Program Director, MENTOR
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
This webinar was sponsored by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading as part of its Learning Tuesdays series. Parents are co-producers of good outcomes for their children with an abundance of research, experience and common sense underscoring the importance of strong and productive partnerships between parents and teachers. Despite the increasingly broad embrace of “family engagement” and the recognition that it is one of the most powerful predictors of children’s development and school success, many schools and teachers still struggle to build strong relationships with the parents of their students. The field of behavior science offers many insights that can foster stronger connections between schools and families, bolstering those relationships and improving child outcomes.
Speakers include:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Angela Madigan, Principal, Waterboro Elementary School, Maine
- Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Helen Westmoreland, Director of Family Engagement, National PTA
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Join us for a webinar with Healthy Schools Campaign and the Institute for Educational Leadership. Outreach that helps ensure students are supported and engaged while families shelter at home requires leadership and action from schools, districts and community partners. Learn about emerging practice and policy for addressing the adverse impact of school closures on students and families. Our guest presenters share strategies that emphasize family and student connection, promote physical and behavioral health and leverage the power of community schools. Find out how to use existing data (i.e. absences, behavior, academics, special education status and demographics) to target and tailor investments to students, families and schools, especially those in need of extra support.
Speakers include:
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- Alex Warrick Adams, Executive Director, Elev8 Baltimore, Maryland
- Julia Baez, Executive Director, Baltimore's Promise, Maryland
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Sarah Jonas, Executive Director, Office of Community Schools, New York City Department of Education, New York
- Alex Mays, Senior National Program Director, Healthy Schools Campaign
- Emily Partin, Director, Grundy County Schools Family Resource Center, Tracy City, Tennessee
- Sarah Peterson, Director of Research and Development, Office of Community Schools, New York City Department of Education, New York
- Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Erin Simon, Director of Student Support Services, Long Beach Unified School District, California
Thursday, April 9, 2020
This event was sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Principals are uniquely positioned to take steps to engage and support students while families shelter at home. This webinar examines how you can team up with your staff to promote positive conditions of learning – ensuring students and families are physically and emotionally healthy, feel a sense of connection and belonging, and are academically engaged – even in a remote or virtual learning environment. Consider the value of using existing data collected prior to school closure, such as absences, behavior, academics (including special education) and demographics, to target and tailor resources for students and families, especially those facing additional challenges.
Speakers include:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Ericka Guynes, Principal, Earl Boyles Elementary School, David Douglas School District, Oregon
- Shandria Richmond-Roberts, Principal, Harrison Elementary School, Pomona Unified School District, California
School breakfast is an effective, powerful tool to reduce chronic absenteeism. Traditionally, this meal is served before the school day begins, which means many students aren’t able to participate. New research shows that when schools shift the time breakfast is served, making it a part of the school day, they can potentially see chronic absenteeism rates drop by an average of 6 percentage points.
Find the report, Chronic Absenteeism and Breakfast After the Bell.
No Kid Hungry and Attendance Works hosted webinars discussing how serving students Breakfast After the Bell can reduce chronic absence.
Designed for educators, held on February 24, 2020, presenters include:
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- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Karen Wong, Senior Manager of Research and Evaluation, No Kid Hungry
- Julie Pittman, North Carolina Teacher of the Year
Designed for principals, held on February 27, 2020, presenters include:
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- Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs, Attendance Works
- Karen Wong, Senior Manager of Research and Evaluation, No Kid Hungry
- Craig Crawford, President, Montana Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals
Thursday, November 7, 2019
This 1 hour webinar, hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on School Health (COSH), discusses the role of pediatricians in improving children's health by helping to reduce chronic school absence. Speakers review key concepts from the February 2019 AAP policy statement, "The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health."
By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:
- Define chronic absenteeism and describe its scope and impact on child health and academic success.
- Describe health-related (both physical and emotional) causes of chronic absenteeism and identify evidence-based interventions to address these causes.
- Identify steps that pediatricians and health care providers can take to address chronic absenteeism in their practice or community.
September 10, 2019
When educators develop positive conditions for learning that provide welcoming, supportive and culturally-responsive school environments, they motivate students and their families to come to school, even when there are hurdles to getting there.
The fourth Attendance Awareness webinar of the year highlights the September Brief, Using Chronic Absence Data to Improve Conditions for Learning, and also discusses: 1) conditions for learning and their relationship to chronic absence, 2) a model for understanding how conditions for learning impact student outcomes, 3) case studies from Georgia and Cleveland, Ohio, 4) a five-step action framework for schools using chronic absence data to identify and address school and community factors that affect attendance and conditions for learning, and 5) a new interactive data map that enables anyone to find information about community and school factors and a school’s chronic absence rate for every school in the United States.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works; David Osher, Vice President and Institute Fellow, American Institutes for Research; Lauren Bauer, Fellow, Economic Studies, The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution; Lorri Hobson, Director of Attendance, Cleveland Metropolitan School District; Garry McGiboney, Deputy Superintendent, Office of School Safety and Climate, Georgia Department of Education; Arianne Weldon, Director, Get Georgia Reading Campaign, Georgia Family Connection Partnership.
August 8, 2019
Imagine a place where you can’t wait to go every day — where you feel safe, connected, supported and excited about learning. What does it take for schools in your community to be like this?
In the third webinar of the 2019 Attendance Awareness Campaign, our speakers share school-wide strategies to create an engaging, healthy school climate that supports everyone in the school building. Whether it’s in an elementary or secondary setting, when school staff work together to increase students’ and families’ sense of belonging, safety and connection to school, and support their physical and emotional health, they can motivate kids to attend even when life is challenging. Our special guest speakers will share strategies that can shift the relationship between families and school staff, support students’ social and emotional learning and development, teacher’s physical and emotional health, and improve the learning environment for everyone in the building.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Gina Martinez-Keddy, Executive Director, Parent Teacher Home Visits; Jennifer Penn-Feliciano & Vanessa Proetto, Secondary Public School Teachers in Baltimore; Alex Mays, Senior National Program Director, Healthy Schools Campaign; Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
May 16, 2019
Being in class every day is even more critical for learning as students enter middle and high school. Students really do miss out when they miss school. Instruction is fast-paced, lessons build on one another and often involve hands-on projects that can’t be replicated at home. Learning to show up every day is also a skill that can help teens get and keep a job as they enter the workforce.
In the second Attendance Awareness webinar of the year, we focus on attendance strategies for the middle and high school grades where chronic absenteeism often spikes. Learn how our featured speakers cultivate positive relationships with youth, identify and remove barriers to attendance, and move beyond simply taking roll to encouraging students to be present so they have an opportunity to reach for their dreams.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Marie Groark, Executive Director, Get Schooled; Fiorella Cabrejos, Principal, Fordham Leadership Academy, New York City; Shilpa Reddy, Community School Director, Fordham Leadership Academy, New York City; Damon Bethea, Mentoring Project Director, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania; Merceda Gomez, Literacy Academic Coach, Allegheny Traditional Academy 6-8, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
March 21, 2019
This webinar kicks off the 2019 Attendance Awareness Campaign. Our theme “We Belong in School” recognizes that students are more likely to attend school if they feel safe, connected, supported and engaged.
The session focuses on students’ very first years in school. In many communities across the country, people are surprised to learn that our youngest students — in preschool, kindergarten and early elementary school — often have the highest levels of chronic absence. Yet research shows that good attendance matters from the very beginning of a child’s formal education. Learn how our featured speakers partner with families to nurture positive transitions from preschool to elementary school, build awareness of the connection between attendance and successful school experiences, and address attendance barriers.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Yolie Flores, Chief Program Officer, The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading; Ericka Guynes, Principal, Earl Boyles Elementary School, David Douglas School District, Oregon; Sandra Diodonet, Assistant Superintendent, Paterson Public Schools, New Jersey; Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
October 12, 2018
This webinar sponsored by Panorama and hosted by Education Week looked at how educators are promoting students' social emotional learning (SEL) skills and school climate to improve attendance and reduce absenteeism. The webinar featured a new framework for understanding the connection between chronic absence and investing in SEL developed by Attendance Works and the American Institute for Research, and showcases work in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ogden, Utah.
Presenters: Mara Schanfield, American Institutes for Research; Chad Carpenter, Assistant Superintendent, Ogden School District; Mel Atkins, Executive Director of Community & Student Affairs, Grand Rapids Public Schools; and Hedy N. Chang, Attendance Works.
September 12, 2018
This session highlights key findings from the September brief, Data Matters: Using Chronic Absence to Accelerate Action for Student Success, from Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center. The brief features a national and state analysis of how many schools face high levels of chronic absence, reflects upon how those patterns can vary by state, and discusses how to use chronic absence data to anticipate and put in place effective solutions to poor attendance that are tailored to local realities.
An interactive data map developed by The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, and chronic absence data charts for 50 states and the District of Columbia, makes it easy for users to compare and contrast chronic absence data at the state and local levels. The report includes recommendations for key partners on how to begin to take action or deepen ongoing efforts to improve attendance so that every student has an equal opportunity to learn.
Webinar speakers share examples of how they use chronic absence data to unpack what are the causes of absenteeism so that schools, districts, and community partners can develop solutions tailored to local challenges and resources. These insights are even more important as states begin to make chronic absence data available in their school report cards.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Lauren Bauer, Fellow in Economic Studies, The Hamilton Project at The Brookings Institution; Vaughan Byrnes, Affiliated Researcher, Everyone Graduates Center; Jose Munoz, Director, Coalition for Community Schools, Institute for Educational Leadership; Senator Bill Ferguson, Maryland's 46th District; Rochelle Davis, President and CEO, Healthy Schools Campaign; Hedy Chang and Annie Reed, Attendance Works
August 15, 2018
Reducing high levels of chronic absence is not a solo sport, but it can be fixed when schools and communities collaborate with multiple stakeholders such as sports teams, housing authorities, local government and more. Join Attendance Works’ third 2018 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar and learn how to engage key partners. Hear how health care, early childhood, and national service volunteers are helping students and families overcome barriers to getting to school even when it isn’t easy.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide; Latoya Smith, School Leader, Tulsa CAP; Alex Molina, Managing Director of Impact, City Year Providence; Janay Lewis, Second Year AmeriCorps Member, City Year Providence; Mandy Allison, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics at University of Colorado Denver; Hedy Chang, Cecelia Leong and Annie Reed, Attendance Works.
May 8, 2018
Teaming up for attendance is critical to reducing chronic absence! What are the secret ingredients that strong schools use to improve attendance? And how do their districts and community partners support their work? Join us for the second 2018 Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar as we welcome speakers from Antioch, California, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools to share their recipes for success.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, United Way Worldwide; Lukas Weinstein, Senior Director of Regional Initiatives, Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools; Daphne Strader, Director of Coordinated School Health, Albuquerque Public Schools; Dolores Espinosa, Assistant Principal, Lavaland Elementary School, Albuquerque Public Schools; Lindsay Wisely, Principal, Antioch Middle School; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
March 28, 2018
Awareness that excellent attendance is vital for student success has never been greater. Today thirty-six states and the District of Columbia include chronic absence in their new state education accountability systems for the Every Student Succeeds Act. With one out of seven students in the U.S. chronically absent, we need leaders in every state and from every sector to mobilize their communities to action and to Team Up for Attendance!
Join Attendance Works and our 69 Attendance Awareness Campaign partners as we kick off the 2018 Attendance Awareness Campaign. You’ll hear how leaders at the state and district levels are uniquely positioned to energize attendance campaigns that result in improvements in school attendance. Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, United Way Worldwide; Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi Department of Education; Charlene Russell-Tucker, Chief Operating Officer, Connecticut State Department of Education; Janet Schulze, Superintendent, Pittsburg, CA; Rev. Larry Simmons, Brightmoor Alliance, Detroit, MI; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
September 12, 2017
Join us as we discuss the new brief from Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center. Co-authors Hedy Chang and Robert Balfanz will highlight key findings from their national and state analysis of how many schools face high levels of chronic absence and discuss the implications for state and local action. Presenters will share inspiring examples of how their communities reduced chronic absence, even when it reached high levels in a school, district or particular student population. These insights are even more important as a growing number of states adopt chronic absence into their accountability systems for school improvement.
Presenters: Alicia Lara, United Way Worldwide; Robert Balfanz, Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University; Lorri Hobson, Cleveland Public Schools; Ramona Halcomb and Robin Shobe, Oregon Department of Education; Carrie Zimbrick, Willamina School District; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
August 8, 2017
Communities across the country are reducing chronic absenteeism by using a comprehensive set of strategies that: 1) prevents absences from occurring, 2) organizes caring and early outreach to families and students before absences add up, and 3) coordinates supports and services for vulnerable students who miss the most school. This third of four Attendance Awareness Month 2017 webinars focuses on providing a warm and engaging start to the school year as well as working across agencies to ensure additional supports for our most vulnerable students, including those who are living in public housing, involved in the foster care system, or exposed to trauma.
Presenters: Ayeola Fortune, United Way Worldwide; Dr. Martha Merchant, University of California, San Francisco; Silvia Cordero, San Francisco Unified School District; Janet Meeks, City of Delray Beach, FL; Minsun Meeker, National Center for Youth Law’s FosterEd CA; and Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
May 23, 2017
Communities across the country are reducing chronic absenteeism by using a comprehensive set of strategies that:
1) prevents absences from occurring,
2) organizes caring and early outreach to families and students before absences add up, and
3) coordinates supports and services for vulnerable students who miss the most school.
This second of four Attendance Awareness Month 2017 webinars focuses on early outreach and intervention.
Presenters: Alicia Lara, United Way Worldwide; Lysette Lemay, Parent Teacher Home Visits; Donna Mazyck, National Association of School Nurses; Terri Helm-Remund, Seattle Public Schools; Linda Amica-Roberts, Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
March 28, 2017
What does it really take to reduce chronic absence? Communities across the country are reducing chronic absenteeism by using a comprehensive set of strategies that:
1) prevents absences from occurring,
2) organizes caring and early outreach to families and students before absences add up, and
3) coordinates supports and services for vulnerable students who miss the most school.
This webinar focuses on universal attendance improvement strategies for all students. These strategies are the first of three tiers of action needed to reduce chronic absence.
Presenters include: Alicia Lara, United Way Worldwide; Todd Rogers, Harvard University; Shauna McMillan, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania; Stephen Weiss, His Place Community Center; Beth Duda, The Patterson Foundation; Diana Greene, Manatee County Schools; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
January 10, 2017
December 7, 2016
Every public school student — no matter his or her race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, citizenship status, or other perceived difference — is entitled to attend a safe, supportive school that promotes daily attendance and ensures an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. In order to support state, district, school, and community leaders in delivering on this guarantee—no matter what—this virtual summit will feature leading practitioners, researchers, federal officials, and advocates from across the country who are leveraging chronic absence data to propel systems change that ensures high-quality, whole-child supports for all students.
The summit focuses on state and district implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the opportunity to realize the power of chronic absence data to develop systems of support that improve student attendance and other important youth outcomes. This event is sponsored by the US Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice, in partnership with Attendance Works, Healthy Schools Campaign, Trust for America’s Health and Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.
November 1, 2016
After Attendance Awareness Month is over, how can schools and communities reach out to families and students to encourage good attendance all year long? Join Attendance Works and our special guests as they share how to use attendance data to anticipate and counter dips in daily attendance that routinely occur over the course of the school year, ideas for leveraging the success of Attendance Awareness Month throughout the year, strategies for engaging families and students whose absences are adding up, and free resources for messaging all year long about the importance of attendance.
Presenters include: Samantha Wigand, United Way Worldwide; Kim Nauer, The New School, Center for New York City Affairs; Brent Lynch, Jefferson County Public Schools; Terry Patton, Franklin Square Elementary and Middle School; and Cecelia Leong and Hedy Chang, Attendance Works.
September 8, 2016
In June 2016, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights released its first national count of students who were chronically absent. The data showed a staggering 6.5 million students were chronically absent, which means that they missed so much school that their ability to read well and gain fundamental skills and knowledge for college and career was hampered. In the 500 most heavily impacted districts, over 30 percent of students were chronically absent. Join us as we release a major national study analyzing the data and more importantly, showing how leaders at the local, state and national levels can take strategic action to monitor and address chronic absence in order to ensure an equal opportunity to learn and succeed.
Presenters include: Samantha Wigand, United Way Worldwide; Robert Balfanz, Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University; Charlene Russell-Tucker, Connecticut Department of Education; Mel Atkins II, Grand Rapids Public Schools; Chana Edmond-Verley, Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation; Cecelia Leong and Hedy Chang, Attendance Works.
August 16, 2016
Chronic absence — missing 10% of the school year for any reason — has negative consequences for students. Yet with the combined efforts of parents, schools, communities and agencies, it is a solvable problem. What does it look like when partners from various sectors such as education, health, housing, justice and business pool their resources to help families get their children to school every day?
Presenters include: Samantha Wigand, United Way Worldwide; Susan Dawson, E3 Alliance; Dr. Kevin Riley and Treva Haugaard, Greater Omaha Attendance and Learning Services (GOALS); Ellie Rossiter and Uzuri Pease-Greene, Hope SF; Cecelia Leong and Hedy Chang, Attendance Works.
May 17, 2016
What can we learn from states and communities that are already using their local chronic absence data to raise awareness about the impact of absences on student achievement? Join the partners in the Attendance Awareness Campaign as we focus on how state and local innovators are already using chronic absence analyses to galvanize action to reduce chronic absence.
Presenters include: Marci Young, United Way Worldwide; Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian; Cynthia Rice, Advocates for Children of New Jersey; Linda Southward, Mississippi KIDS COUNT; Toni Kersh, Mississippi Department of Education; Cecelia Leong and Hedy Chang, Attendance Works.
April 12, 2016
Our first Attendance Awareness Webinar for 2016 focuses on the latest strategies for leveraging positive messaging to prevent and reduce chronic absence. We will also unveil our 2016 Count Us In! toolkit. We invite new communities to launch Attendance Awareness Month in September as a step towards a year-round Attendance Awareness Campaign.
Presenters include: Marci Young, United Way Worldwide; Lysette Lemay and Yesenia Gonzalez, Parent Teacher Home Visit Project; Todd Rogers, Harvard University; Jill Habig, Office of Attorney General Kamala Harris; Josh Skolnick, U.S. Department of Education; Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong, Attendance Works.
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