Below is a list of research related to attendance

The reports on this page are listed alphabetically and examine the issue of chronic absence nationwide and in selected communities. Use the search box to find research using the author name. See the early education, elementary, secondary and other research categories on the right. To submit new research, please contact us.
Increasing school attendance for K-8 students: A review of research examining the effectiveness of truancy prevention programs
Schultz, Jennifer Lee and Chanelle Gandy. Wilder Foundation, March 2007. This analysis examines several multi-faceted truancy prevention programs, which combine school-based, family-based, and community-based interventions. The study focused on programs for elementary and middle school students. Detailed descriptions are given of the studies, along with specific examples of what worked well and what methods were ineffective.
Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping Students on the Graduation Path in Urban Middle-Grades Schools
Balfanz, Robert, Lisa Herzog, and Douglas J. MacIver. Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 223–235 Copyright 2007, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. This article considers the practical, conceptual, and empirical foundations of an early identification and intervention system for middle-grades schools to combat student disengagement and increase graduation rates in our nation’s cities. It offers data revealing how four predictive indicators reflecting poor attendance,…
Improving Student Attendance with School, Family and Community Partnerships
Sheldon, Steven B. Journal of Educational Research, January 2007. Researchers and policy makers have questioned the efficacy of family-involvement interventions. They believe that more studies are needed to compare outcomes of students whose families received a partnership intervention with those who did not. The author used data from the state of Ohio to compare student attendance in elementary schools that…
Check and Connect: The role of monitors in supporting high-risk youth
Christenson, S.L., et al. Reaching Today’s Youth: The Community Circle of Caring Journal, 2, 18–21. 1997. During seven years of experience with federally funded intervention projects for high-risk youth, Check and Connect has developed a system of support that helps even the most challenging young people meet school standards. In work with secondary level students with emotional and learning disabilities,…
Effect of Full-Time versus Part-Time School Nurses on Attendance of Elementary Students with Asthma
The Journal of School Nursing, 2004. Asthma, the most common chronic disease in children today, is the leading cause of absenteeism among students. It accounts for nearly 20 million lost school days annually. This study examined whether full-time (5 days per week) or part-time (2 days per week) school nurses would have a differential effect on the frequency of absences…
Increasing Student Attendance: Strategies from Research and Practice
Railsback, Jennifer. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, June 2004. This report looks at practices and outcomes of attendance programs across the country. Although promising practices exist across the country, there are no “silver bullet” approaches proven to keep children in school. Other research has investigated how school disengagement relates to decreased attendance. In addition to asking “How can we help students…
Burden of Asthma in Inner-City Schoolchildren: Do School-Based Health Centers Make a Difference?
Webber, Mayris P. Arch Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine Volume 157, February 2003. This study compared information about students at six inner-city elementary schools in the Bronx. Four of the schools had school-based health centers while two did not. Researchers looked at data regarding hospitalization, emergency department visit, and absenteeism among students with asthma. They found that access to school-based health centers…