Reduce Chronic Absence on Your Own

Preschool to K-12

The problem can start early: at least 10 percent of kindergartners and first-graders miss so many days that absences stall their progress in reading and block their opportunity to learn. These early attendance gaps have a ripple effect, over time creating achievement gaps that lead to graduation gaps, and ultimately far fewer opportunities to lead healthy, productive lives.

Attendance Works has developed a comprehensive set of resources for use by schools, school districts, communities and states. These Resources and Tools are found on our website and are provided free of charge. Learn about our usage policy. We can answer your questions so you can you get started.

We are developing new resources to address student attendance and engagement whether learning takes place in school or remotely. Find our multi-phase framework designed to assist educators during the coronavirus pandemic. 

  • Use Attendance Works Data Tools – self-calculating spreadsheets that allow
    you to insert your school or district’s student data to view and analyze local
    chronic absence patterns.
  • Use Attendance Works Self-Assessment Tools to help you understand the problem in your school, school district and state.
  • Start with prevention. Take advantage of Attendance Works Messaging Materials – flyers, infographics, videos and sample presentations tailored to
    specific audiences such as families, early childhood providers, students and teens.
  • When you have an idea of the scope of the problem, equip district leaders, principals and school staff with effective strategies to address the problem. Use Attendance Works’ Toolkits for principals and teachers that are filled with resources to monitor data and identify strategies that can work in your school, district and state.
  • Participate in Attendance Awareness Month to find out how you can leverage the beginning of the school year to deliver the message that every school day matters and encourage everyone to work together to identify and address attendance barriers.
  • Sign up for Attendance Works Webinars provided by leading researchers, policy makers and practitioners who share ideas and strategies. Participate in our new series of e-learning interactive training courses to learn how to improve attendance at your school.

Click on the buttons below to see how to reduce chronic absence in your state, community or school.

Chronic absenteeism is a barrier to student achievement because students who are not in school miss the opportunity to learn. Parents, schools and communities must work together to ensure that students understand the importance of making every school day count. The earlier that absences are identified and addressed, the more successful students will become.”
— Carey M. Wright, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education for Mississippi