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Today at 12–1:30 pm PT! A sense of belonging can make a real difference in whether students show up & stay engaged. Join @attendanceworks for the first webinar in the 2026 Attendance Awareness Campaign, Nurture Belonging in the Spring! https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/
Tomorrow! A sense of belonging can make a real difference in whether students show up & stay engaged. Join @attendanceworks on April 1, 12–1:30 pm PT for the first webinar in the 2026 Attendance Awareness Campaign, Nurture Belonging in the Spring! https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/
When students miss school, they miss chances to learn and connect with peers and teachers. Learn how schools are improving attendance and engagement in @RELMidwest’s latest documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkI-s4igUyc
Photo credit: @All4Ed @allison_shelley
🎓 When students miss school, learning opportunities dwindle. Chronic absence widens gaps in literacy, numeracy & social development. Teacher Jessica Wiley’s commentary highlights why helping students show up consistently matters.
Read more: https://talkbusiness.net/2025/12/reclaiming-our-classrooms-so-students-can-learn/
🍎 District leaders: Looking to strengthen your attendance strategy?
The Professional Leadership Attendance Network (PLAN) is a national leadership cohort designed for district attendance leaders.
Starts Jan. 20, 2027
Contact Lorri@attendanceworks.org or Zach@attendanceworks.org.
📊 School attendance across the country continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. In this interview, Attendance Works CEO Hedy Chang discusses what the data show & why schools & communities need to focus student engagement & connection.
🎥 Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VEraD7np8E
Chronic absence doesn’t just affect the students who miss school. It can disrupt learning for the entire classroom; impacting teacher morale, classroom routines and students who attend regularly. Download this guide from @educationweek :
A sense of belonging can make a real difference in whether students show up & stay engaged. Join @attendanceworks and @IELconnects on April 1, 12–1:30 pm PT for the first webinar in the 2026 Attendance Awareness Campaign, Nurture Belonging in the Spring! https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/
New California data analyses of K-12 offer an important window into national chronic absence trends. Three research briefs released today show that while recovery is slowing, there is a greater need for sustained investment. https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Attendance-Works-Calif-PR-2-24-2026_final.pdf
New research from @UChiConsortium finds attendance still matters for learning & schools can influence it. Nationally, 23% of students miss more than 10% of school days. Strong school climate, safety & connection are linked to better attendance. Read more: https://www.attendanceworks.org/new-report-students-attendance-still-matters-and-schools-do-influence-it/
NEW PACE infographic by Hedy Chang of @attendanceworks and Belen Chavez at PACE examines trends in CA chronic absence through 2024–25. Eight key facts are a call to action for sustained and increased attention to student attendance and engagement. https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/unpacking-californias-chronic-absence-crisis-through-2024-25 (1/10)
The co-authors of our new attendance brief—Elaine Allensworth, Meril Antony, William Delgado, and Marisa de la Torre—wrote a blog for @attendanceworks, sharing some of the key takeaways:
Read the blog post:
Read the research: https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/connection-trust-and-learning
Oregon launched a 13-district attendance collaborative (with under 50 to 37,000 students). Drawing upon our approach, districts built data teams, improved monitoring, tested communications, strengthened relationships & focused on collective efficacy. https://www.cosa.k12.or.us/news/compliance-invitation-lessons-improving-attendance-eleven-oregon-school-districts
Healthy students are more likely to show up ready to learn. Join the Healthy Schools Campaign on Thu, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET for a Q&A roundtable on protecting student health and school Medicaid in your state. Bring your questions. Register:
Kinship caregivers and grandfamilies are key partners for improving attendance. Join the Feb. 25-26 summit!. Hedy Chang will present proven strategies and resources that support student engagement and attendance.
New research out of Michigan and Georgia: schools mostly lean on communication-based strategies to improve attendance, while practices that remove barriers or improve students’ experience at school are less common.
👀📄 Worth a look: https://edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1390
The @CarnegieFdn has announced the first recipients of the Carnegie Award for Impact. Congrats to CORE Districts’ Breakthrough Success Community, Hemet Unified School District and Liberty Public Schools for sustained, measurable progress for students. https://cfdn.at/4klHdwJ
Hedy Chang, from @attendanceworks, brings strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism—complete with audience participation—to NAESP’s annual advocacy conference. Big gains can be made starting with the youngest learners. #PrincipalsAdvocate #NSLAC26
Stay connected with the latest news, research as well as new tools to support attendance and engagement.
Sign up for the Attendance Works newsletter and receive updates directly in your inbox.
🔗 Subscribe: https://www.attendanceworks.org/contact-us/newsletter-signup/
📊 New resource from the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading: The Nation’s Report Card: A Call to Action for Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps unpacks the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results. 🔎📚
https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GLR711-NAEP-Report-v5-All-1.pdf http://evelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GLR711-NAEP-Report-v5-All-1.pdf
📰 The tragic events that are unfolding in Minnesota leave us thinking about students, families and educators. When families and students are feeling unsafe , it affects students’ learning, attendance and well-being. 🧠📚🏫
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/24/minnesota-ice-raids-children-trauma
💡 What does the new federal education tax credit mean for states? Join the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading on 2/3 as they launch a new #LearningTuesdays series examining the challenges & opportunities of the new federal education tax credit.
REGISTER: https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/parents-as-curators-the-federal-education-tax-credit-states-facing-opportunities-challenges/
National #MentoringMonth is a celebration of this movement and the stories at its heart!🎉
This month, learn how to take your story to the world for everyone to honor.
Download our FREE Media Toolkit for media exposure basics 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2ekpbekf
He's back! ♫ Grammy-nominated artist @SaulPaul will be performing live on-stage at the National Mentoring Summit again this year.
You don't want to miss this!
Register for the National Mentoring Summit: https://www.mentoring.org/national-mentoring-summit/
New legislation in New Jersey establishes a task force to dig into the root causes of student absenteeism. 🏫🔎📋 Check this out via @Chalkbeat Newark 👉 https://www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2026/01/08/new-state-task-force-could-help-nj-public-schools-curb-chronic-abseenteeism/
Day-to-day safety concerns—such as bullying, social conflict, medical incidents and students’ confidence that adults will step in when needed—all play a significant role in school attendance decisions. 🛡️🏫 Nice read via @DistrictAdministration 👉 https://districtadministration.com/opinion/why-school-safety-is-key-to-tackling-chronic-absenteeism/
Local leaders, agencies, nonprofits & community partners can help reduce weather-related barriers that stand in the way of students getting to school. ❄️🚌🤝 We’ve updated our winter weather tips for schools & community members. Download the handout! https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Winter-tips-schools-communities-handout.pdf
REMINDER: Join @UChiConsortium and Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) on Jan. 20 for a webinar featuring important new research showing schools can and do influence students’ attendance. Register today!👇🏽
Join @UChiConsortium and Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) on Jan. 20 for a webinar featuring important new research showing schools can and do influence students’ attendance. Register today!👇🏽
Regular attendance matters as much today as it did prior to the Covid-19 pandemic for students' learning, according to important new research from @UChiConsortium. And a positive school climate motivates middle & high schoolers to attend. Read:
https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/connection-trust-and-learning
Love the way this is trending. We love having our kids and staff in school learning! @attendanceworks
Join @UChiConsortium and Illinois Workforce & Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) on Jan. 20 for a webinar featuring important new research showing schools can and do influence students’ attendance. Register today!👇🏽
Cold or wet weather can present challenges to getting to school. We updated our winter attendance toolkit: “Stay the Course: Support Attendance in the Winter Months”. Find sample family letters & practical tips. Spanish translations coming soon!
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/messaging/stay-the-course-a-winter-messaging-toolkit/
Cold or wet weather can present challenges to getting to school. We updated our winter attendance toolkit: “Stay the Course: Support Attendance in the Winter Months”. Find sample family letters & practical tips. Spanish translations coming soon!
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/messaging/stay-the-course-a-winter-messaging-toolkit/
We’re proud to celebrate Attendance Works Advisory Board member Karen Pittman, who will receive the Outstanding Service to Public Education Award from the NEA Foundation. Congratulations, Karen!
Learn more: https://www.neafoundation.org/ideas-voices/the-nea-foundation-announces-karen-j-pittman-as-recipient-of-the-2026-outstanding-service-to-public-education-award/
Good news from North Carolina: The NC Early Childhood Foundation found 214 of 1,306 elementary schools have reduced their chronic absence rates, including 15 in low-income communities! Check out the interactive data analysis:
New research finds that school reopening during the pandemic were associated with fewer student mental health diagnoses, especially anxiety and depression. In-person learning is an important component of children’s mental health, the authors conclude.
Cold or wet weather can present challenges to getting to school. We updated our winter attendance toolkit: “Stay the Course: Support Attendance in the Winter Months”. Find sample family letters & practical tips. Spanish translations coming soon!
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/messaging/stay-the-course-a-winter-messaging-toolkit/
We’re proud to share that Angela Duran, senior fellow at Attendance Works, has been named in Arkansas' Business Publishing Group’s Arkansas 250 — a list recognizing the state’s most influential leaders. 🎉👏🌟
See the full list of 2025 honorees here: https://digital.abpg.com/arkansas250-2025/page/1
🚍 Regular attendance is key to early learning and reading by third grade — yet many students miss school due to preventable health challenges like asthma, anxiety and lack of care.
Join us Dec. 9 to explore strategies and a new toolkit.
🔗 Register: https://glrcenter-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tZDWcBAXS-qOijHv2B-VPw#/registration
Preventable health issues keep too many kids out of school — and off track for reading success. Join us and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading on 12/9 for #LearningTuesdays to explore a new toolkit.
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/3LkTvIy
📊 27% of U.S. students were chronically absent in 2022-23 & rates are much higher in high-poverty schools. Chronic absence is often about barriers, not lack of interest. When schools & communities work together, students can stay connected and learn.
https://nationalequityatlas.org/indicators/Chronic-absenteeism
Preventable health issues keep too many kids out of school — and off track for reading success. Join us and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading on 12/9 for #LearningTuesdays to explore a new toolkit.
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/3LkTvIy
📉 New research shows chronic absence is still above prepandemic levels, with about 1 in 5 students missing 10% or more of school. The challenge is especially concentrated in urban districts, where nearly half report extreme levels of chronic absence.
🗳️ Survey deadline extended!
Share your thoughts on this year’s Attendance Awareness Campaign by Nov. 21 and enter our $75 gift card raffle. It only takes 5 minutes.
🔗 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/aac2025-participant
#HereTodayReadyForTomorrow
📘 Survey finds about half of U.S. K-12 schools now offer high-intensity tutoring, mentoring or wraparound support — but many of these reach 20% or fewer students, even as demand rises.
https://mailchi.mp/664b20f55d83/0jegzewfz2-6429687?e=c929af1567
📊 Professional Leadership Attendance Network (PLAN) is back—and it’s more accessible than ever! Enrollment is now offered at a greatly reduced rate.
Learn how this network helps districts reduce chronic absence:
🔗 https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Attendance-Works-PLAN-2025-092925.pdf
Deadline extended! 🎓 Did you participate in the 2025 Attendance Awareness Campaign?
Complete our short participant survey by Nov. 21 and enter to win a $75 gift card.
🔗 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/aac2025-participant
#HereTodayReadyForTomorrow
Every Day Counts in Vermont pairs schools with health professionals and services to address rising absenteeism. The initiative aligns with state efforts to improve attendance and student well-being.
🔗 https://www.uvm.edu/uvmnews/news/every-day-counts-using-research-reduce-chronic-absenteeism-vermont-schools
Do you thrive on details and teamwork? We’re looking for a Program and Administrative Support Associate to join our team. Full-time, remote with benefits. Learn more and apply: https://www.attendanceworks.org/about-us/work-with-attendance-works/
📢 Tomorrow is the last day to share your feedback!
Take the participant survey and enter to win a $75 gift card.
🔗 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/aac2025-participant #HereTodayReadyForTomorrow #AttendanceAwareness
📣 Good news: Enrollment in Professional Leadership Attendance Network (PLAN) is now open at a deep discount thanks to foundation support!
This 6-month network helps district leaders reduce chronic absence and build stronger systems.
🔗 https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Attendance-Works-PLAN-2025-092925.pdf
Happy Community School Coordinator’s Week!!
Celebrate using the 2023 toolkit!
Staffed by @IELconnects & @CommSchools, it prepares, supports & mobilizes leaders to advance community schools as a key equity strategy for children, families & communities. https://www.communityschools.org/coordinators-appreciation-week-2023/
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