The 50% Challenge: Crafting a State Road Map

Step 5: Share Learning to Drive Progress

Communicating with every partner keeps improvement moving forward. By engaging partners SEAs reinforce shared responsibility for attendance improvement and momentum toward the 50% goal. When the SEA chronic absence team communicates what is happening, why it matters and what’s coming next, it enables partners to stay aligned and progress to accelerate statewide.

In this step state teams will:

  1. Identify key partners outside of the SEA
  2. Share progress, lessons learned and success stories

Engage statewide partners

Sharing learning must be a team effort, with the SEA playing a coordinating role: drafting clear goals and priorities, providing timely information, resources and messages, and creating regular opportunities for partners to amplify and adapt learning for their partners and audiences.

In addition to LEAs, there are a variety of partners SEAs can engage to expand their reach. Partners also help build and maintain the public will critical to support reducing chronic absence as a priority. When possible, leverage the partnerships established throughout this roadmap. Below are a list of key partners and what they can do to support the statewide goal to reduce chronic absence.

Who can be a statewide partner?

  • Regional service centers/intermediaries. Translate state priorities into local action

  • Statewide associations. Highlight the role their members can play to improve attendance as well as amplify bright spots and innovations through established networks

  • Community-based organizations. Share stories based in family voice and lived experience

  • Media. Shape a broad understanding of both progress and need

  • Researchers and evaluators. Document which strategies are improving outcomes, for whom and how

  • Students and families. Offer authentic perspectives and visible change

How to engage partners

When engaging LEAs and other partners as messengers, SEAs can:

  • Provide partners with clear attendance priorities and progress
  • Share ready-to-use materials (e.g. publicly available data, data visuals, policy templates, key messages)
  • Create opportunities for partners to share lessons learned, questions and emerging needs
  • Coordinate timing of messaging campaigns, so messages reinforce — rather than compete with — one another

To build trust and encourage action across the state, SEA teams can regularly share progress in places that are visible and varied. Leverage partners by inviting them to feature state examples and encouraging adaptation for local audiences. Examples of where to share messaging and progress include:

  • Dedicated attendance or engagement pages on SEA websites
  • State guidance, memos or toolkits shared with districts
  • Leadership updates, board materials or legislative briefings
  • Partner newsletters, convenings and professional learning spaces

By regularly sharing progress and insights, SEAs help others understand why reducing chronic absence matters and what they can do to sustain improvements. Sharing this information consistently can help align partner efforts across the state, accelerating improvement.

Make progress visible. Show where change is happening — and who is benefiting.

  • Share short district bright spots showing where chronic absence is decreasing and engagement is improving
  • Use simple data visuals, maps or dashboards paired with brief narratives
  • Ask partners to highlight these examples in their own communications and meetings

Spread what works. Share practical takeaways districts and partners can adapt and replicate.

Feature strategies designed to support the priority routes that are successful, such as relationship-building routines, health access partnerships, data-informed interventions or effective messaging. Provide districts, schools and partners with tools and templates that can support implementation. Encourage intermediaries and associations to adapt and redistribute these resources to fit local contexts.

  • Planning tools or checklists for implementing evidence-based strategies
  • Examples of district guidance, outreach materials or data routines
  • Sample attendance messages that can be sent to families or used to raise awareness among communities.

Set the course ahead. Communicate how learning is shaping the path forward. This strategy reinforces shared responsibility, keeps the work forward-looking and demonstrates how partner feedback has influenced the effort as it evolves.

  • Name upcoming priorities, supports or shifts in focus
  • Identify where collaboration, feedback or alignment is needed next
  • Show how partner and district input has influenced updates to guidance, resources or strategy

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