Start by reviewing your district’s data. Examine the percent and number of students who are chronically absent by grade, as well as across all schools. Typically, elementary chronic absence is highest in kindergarten and then it gets better in the upper elementary grades. Districts that monitor attendance in preschool often produce numbers that show chronic absence is even higher in these early years. And within the same district, chronic absence usually can vary significantly across schools. This chart produced by our District Attendance Tracking Tool shows how chronic absence can vary significantly across schools. A close look at these variations can help to identify schools struggling with poor attendance as well as bright spots, or schools with lower levels of chronic absence despite high levels of poverty, that are already taking steps to improve attendance. The data by grade can help you determine if your district should focus on particular grades, while the data by school can reveal if a particular cluster of schools within the district might need more support in addressing chronic absence. Sometimes, especially in smaller districts, a review of the data could reveal that the total number of chronically absent students across all elementary grades is relatively modest. If this is the case, the district might decide to target all elementary grades. Keep in mind that your district can share aggregate data on chronic absence by school and by grade with community partners and stakeholders whom you wish to engage in these discussions without worrying about confidentiality. The data can be shared as long at it is not possible to determine an individual student’s identity from the information.