A new survey from the Ad Council Research Institute found parents/caregivers respond more favorably to messages about chronic absence when they first lift up the social and behavioral benefits their children gain from going to school in person. Families also respond favorably when the positive messaging is followed by the consequences of missing school on a regular basis.
“When we talked [to families] about academics only, we got some pushback,” said Derrick Feldmann, lead researcher and managing director of the Ad Council Research Institute. “When we talked about academics plus the other elements it was more positive.”
The Ad Council and Overdeck Family Foundation recently the released results of the survey on parental attitudes toward absenteeism and a toolkit for helping educators deliver the right messages on attendance. You can find the Ad Council research, and the toolkit, “Back to the Classroom,” by clicking here.
Through interviews and surveys with a diverse mix of more than 5,000 families nationwide, researchers from the Ad Council found that families are aware of and generally agree with the benefits of in-person learning including collaboration, engagement, socializing and personalized attention. Yet today they view the benefits of in-person school attendance holistically, with academics being only one piece of their child’s overall development. The Ad Council noted this survey is the first piece of research it conducted looking into current attitudes about school attendance and that it will continue to examine this topic.
These findings differ in some respects from an earlier Ad Council study of families in California. That 2016 survey led to messaging focused on helping families understand the academic losses their children would experience with chronic absence, and specifically told parents the number of absences that were acceptable versus not.
However, the years following the pandemic have, for many families, resulted in a shift in parents’ views around education. And many families may have also cultivated a mindset that showing up to school in person is optional. With this perspective shift in mind, the Ad Council sought to identify the overarching message that addresses the concerns of families today and provides reason for why their children should attend school in person.
During an Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar Derrick Feldmann, lead researcher and managing director of the Ad Council Research Institute explained the survey findings. Feldmann said that educators can and should talk about the consequences of missing school as well as remind families of the number of absences their child has had to date, but he urged that these messages be mentioned second, after making an affirmative case for why it’s good for students to be in school on a regular basis.
The survey’s key findings
1. Nearly all (93%) parents agree that in-person learning is important. Although in families with chronically absent children (in this study, those with 2+ absences a month), just over half (51%) said in-person learning is ‘extremely’ important.
2. Parents view education holistically and as a balance of many elements, with academics only being a piece of their child’s growth.
3. About half of parents of chronically absent children consider their own experiences of not being impacted by absences. For example, this statement, “When I was their age, I missed in-person school, and it didn’t impact my education or development,” was viewed favorably by 46% of parents with chronically absent children and 37% of total parents.
4. Parents—especially those whose children are routinely absent—say they regularly track their children’s grades, school performance and attendance. They tend to believe most absences are acceptable. For example, 54% of parents of children with 0-1 absences believe 1 absence per month is acceptable; while 37% of parents of severely chronically absent children (5+ times per month) are most likely to say 5+ absences per month are acceptable.
With these findings in mind, the Ad Council created a list of considerations for educators when developing universal messaging about attendance. These include:
• Focus on the whole child.
• Emphasize the benefits of in-person learning. Families responded favorably to these statements: The social benefits of in-person school/learning are irreplaceable: 84%. My child is more focused when learning in person: 83%.
• Acknowledge parents’ hesitations. Parents, especially of chronically absent children, like the autonomy and independence that come with virtual learning. Many of these parents believe online/virtual learning is better for their child’s mental health, and that it can help avoid situations of bullying.
• Avoid chastising or shaming parents by setting unrealistic goals. Some parents expressed concern that schools place too much emphasis on students having perfect attendance—which isn’t always obtainable, even for excused absences.
• The child’s teacher is the main messenger parents would trust with the message about attending school regularly (61% of total parents), followed next by the principal/assistant principal, guidance/school counselors and mental health professionals. For parents with chronically absent children, more absences correlated with less trust of school employees.
The goal of this research is to offer insights into parental attitudes, Feldmann said. He urged practitioners to take what they have learned from the survey and start to apply it to some of the existing interventions, including continual nudges of saying how many times their child has been absent, early warning systems and other efforts. “Interventions are good and interventions are necessary. But we also need communications to support and inform and help shift attitudes,” Feldmann said.
To accompany the toolkit launch, the Ad Council hosted a webinar featuring an in-depth research review led by Feldmann and a panel discussion with Robert Balfanz (John Hopkins University), Hedy Chang (Attendance Works), Angélica Infante-Green (Rhode Island Department of Education), and Todd Rogers, (Harvard University). Access the webinar. Use passcode eZ4W$8we
Feldmann also discussed the survey and toolkit during the Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar on September 25, Leadership for Sustainability: Superintendents Making a Difference. View the recording.
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