We are delighted to announce the release today of Attendance Playbook: Smart Solutions for Reducing Chronic Absenteeism, a new report by FutureEd and Attendance Works that describes practical strategies that have been shown to improve attendance.
Attendance Playbook describes strategies that have strong track records, many of which are easy to introduce and simple to scale. The descriptions identify the problem each intervention solves and highlight schools or school districts that have used the strategy successfully.
Now that 36 states and the District of Columbia use chronic absence as a school accountability metric, education policymakers and practitioners are looking for solutions to chronic absenteeism. To help districts and states comply with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Playbook describes supporting research for each intervention category. Each study is also rated in a way to match the four levels of research evidence described in ESSA.
Organized by Tiers of Intervention
The approaches are organized to address the three tiers of intervention. For example, Tier 1 interventions, designed to encourage good attendance for all students, include effective messaging and engagement strategies such as home visits and “nudge” postcards, as well as ways to help families address barriers including transportation and illness.
Tier 2 strategies provide early intervention for students who need more support to avoid chronic absence who are close to or already missing 10 percent of the school year. Tier 3 approaches offer intensive support for students facing the greatest challenges to getting to school, or 20 percent or more of the school year. These often involve not just schools but other agencies such as health, housing and social services.
The list of strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism in the Attendance Playbook isn’t exhaustive, but it represents a solid sample of the leading work and latest thinking on improving attendance. We think you’ll find everything in the Playbook useful: the intervention descriptions, research ratings and links to each study, and schools and districts that are achieving reductions in chronic absence. Let us know what you think by emailing: info@attendanceworks.org
The Attendance Playbook was written by Phyllis Jordan, editorial director of FutureEd, at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, with input from the Attendance Works team.
Find the full Attendance Playbook on FutureEd’s website.
Sample Tweets!
- Looking for proven, research-based strategies to reduce #chronicabsence that can be implemented quickly & cost effectively to meet #ESSA deadlines? Find them in @attendanceworks @FutureEdGU Attendance Playbook: https://www.future-ed.org/attendance-playbook/ #SchoolEveryDay
- Youth engagement programs that seek to promote problem solving, self-control, emotional regulation & a stronger sense of Ss’ as learners can also reduce absenteeism. Learn more in @FutureEdGU @attendanceworks Attendance Playbook: https://www.future-ed.org/attendance-playbook/ #SchoolEveryDay
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