What Activates Support at Each of the 3 Tiers?

Attendance Works recommends tracking and monitoring an expanded set of attendance measures to help identify students and student groups in need of outreach and support as early as possible. When used together, these data paint a holistic picture of whether students are positioned to benefit from opportunities to learn. Find examples of practices you can consider using for each tier here.
Immediate Tier 1 Action Required
  • Monitor Family Contact Information - As soon as contact appears to be lost, schools should take immediate action to ensure the student’s family is located and the contact information is confirmed. We’ve developed six proactive strategies for finding students and families.
  • Investigate Lack of Connectivity - The digital divide is a major barrier to students showing up to class if they are engaged in remote learning. In addition to offering access to technology, schools and their community partners should offer one-to-one technical support, in the family’s home language, when lack of a computer, internet, or capacity to log into a system emerge as barriers to learning.

When to Add Tier 1 Universal Supports

Implement universal support for all students throughout the school year! Tier 1 raises awareness about the vital role strong attendance plays in student achievement. These strategies are designed to motivate satisfactory attendance for every student.

When to Add Tier 2 Early Intervention

Provide Tier 2 supports to students who missed 10% or more of school during the prior school year (18 days or more in an 180 day school year). Remember, this includes all days missed regardless of the reason. Whether students attend school in person, remotely or with a hybrid schedule, missing 10% of school is the early warning sign that a student is off track. During the current school year, activate Tier 2 assistance when a student misses two days in the first month, a total of four days by the end of the second month, six days by the end of the third month and so on. Early attendance patterns are highly predictive of later absences for both in-person and remote settings. Click on the image below to enlarge it.
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Recent research from Connecticut showed that attendance in the beginning of the year predicted chronic absence in the spring for remote and hybrid as well as in-person learning.

When to Add Tier 3, Intensive Intervention

Provide Tier 3 supports to students who missed 20% or more of the past school year. During the current school year, activate Tier 3 supports whenever a student misses 20% or more of days enrolled. Finally, add Tier 3 supports when a student’s attendance has not improved even with Tier 2 interventions.

Remember that each tier adds another layer of support. Students requiring additional Tier 2 or Tier 3 support still benefit ¾ as all students do ¾ from Tier 1!

Updated November 2021