Ask parents/caregivers about the importance of school attendance in the early grades, and they can tell you why showing up every day matters. They can also share their very real challenges in getting children to school. Bringing Attendance Home, a video from Attendance Works, features parents talking to other parents about reducing absenteeism. Filmed in schools across the country, the video offers tips for parents and schools to improve student attendance. 

This video presents national chronic absence numbers from 2014 and absenteeism has grown since then. For example, the number of chronically absent students is no longer out of 10 students. In the 2017-18 school year, 8 million, or one out of six students, were chronically absent. As a result of challenges created by the pandemic, as many as one out of 3 students may now be chronically absent. You can mention this when you show the video.

Even though the chronic absence numbers are not current, we still believe the video is perfect for a back-to-school night or parent summit. We also offer a version dubbed in Spanish. Download the video, and a guide and PowerPoint for leading discussions, below.

Updated May 2022.