The 50% Challenge: Crafting a State Road Map
Introduction
Addressing chronic absence at the state level offers a triple bottom line: improved student engagement and achievement, greater educator satisfaction and enhanced educational funding. Yet chronic absence (missing 10% or more of school for any reason), remains well above prepandemic levels, requiring bold, coordinated state-level leadership to improve student attendance, educational outcomes and engage all students and their families in school.
By committing to reducing chronic absence by 50% — through systemic, statewide action — state leaders (governors, chief state school officers. legislators and other agency executives) can address the scale of chronic absence today and propel sustained improvement in student success. Learn more about the bold yet achievable goal to cut chronic absence rates from pandemic highs by 50% over five years.
While districts and local education agencies (LEAs) are where sustainable change occurs to support meaningful action in schools, state education agencies (SEAs) create the enabling conditions — easily accessible, public data, statewide guidance, adequate resources and partnerships — that ensure effective solutions are adopted at scale.
A roadmap for every state
The 50% Challenge calls on state leaders to develop concrete, strategic and long-term plans. This roadmap provides a structured approach to help SEAs build and strengthen the statewide systems needed to drive improvement in attendance and engagement. Each step helps SEAs to advance adoption by LEAs of these Key Ingredients for Systemic Change which ensure their efforts are coherent, sustainable and responsive to local realities. Every state will need to create its own attendance and engagement road map based on a deep understanding of the root causes driving chronic absence in its districts and schools. The road map should address local realities and challenges and leverage available assets.
Improvement is not linear. Progress depends on a continuous cycle of using data, adapting strategies and sharing learning to accelerate what works. Working through this roadmap, SEAs can develop and execute a plan that supports district implementation, builds momentum across the state and sustains long-term progress toward the 50% goal.
Click on the steps below to learn more.
January 2026