Policy Makers

Adopt a standard definition of chronic absence (missing 10% or more of school), whether the school is in person, virtual or a blend, support daily attendance taking.

Ensure the state has a longitudinal student database—ideally beginning in preschool—that tracks attendance for each student using a unique identifier.

Make chronic absence a policy priority and direct districts and schools to identify contributing factors to student absenteeism.

Promote the adoption of learning opportunity metrics (contact, connectivity, attendance, participation and relationships) in addition to chronic absence.

Require that school improvement plans include prevention-oriented strategies to reduce chronic absence and improve attendance.

Sponsor legislation that sets a common definition for chronic absence, promotes monitoring and public reporting of data, and requires schools and districts to address high levels of chronic absence.

Support data sharing between education, health and social service agencies and other community-based youth and family organizations to target intervention efforts.

Ensure adequate resources are distributed to schools in all communities, so that all students have a substantially similar opportunity to meet performance standards regardless of geographic location, and that state and local funding are sufficient to reasonably expect that all students can meet academic performance standards.

Coordinate and secure resources to eliminate the digital divide.

Use chronic absence data to identify districts, schools, student populations and communities that need additional resources to remove barriers to attendance and ensure positive conditions of learning.

Build public awareness and consensus about addressing chronic absence.