“Can we talk about chronic absenteeism?” This title of a recent Reddit post grabbed my attention mid-scroll. As the teacher posing the question explained, she sees the “national headlines” about the problem, but her district is in “complete denial.” “How can we ‘build relationships’ with kids who are never there?” she asked. The struggle to get kids to go to school and then actually attend class, she added, is like trying to keep “sand in a sieve all day long.”
Her frustration was palpable, and understandably so. Since the onset of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed—and it’s taking a toll on student engagement and academic achievement. Why have so many students and families become disconnected from school? What can schools do to re-engage them?
Since the onset of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed—and it’s taking a toll on student engagement and academic achievement.
While chronic absenteeism is a deeply complex issue, this digital edition of EL suggests that headway can be made. You’ll read about an initiative in the Richmond, Virginia, school district that almost halved absenteeism rates in some buildings by shifting family engagement from “an isolated potluck into an essential strategy that foster[s] student achievement and two-way communication with families—on their terms.”
A recent NPR/Ipsos poll showed that just one-third of families can identify what chronic absenteeism actually is (missing 10 percent or more of the school year). To ensure families understand how it impacts their children’s education, clear communication is essential. Todd Rogers and Karen Mapp, researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and cofounders of EveryDay Labs, share studies on the benefits of using more supportive and less punitive language in truancy notices and sending families personalized attendance “nudges.”
This issue is also packed with ideas on increasing student engagement so students want to show up and learn. For example, coauthors Amy Holcombe, dean of education at High Point University, and Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple, share AI activities (and sample prompts) that can help students be “active participants in their learning as opposed to passive recipients of information.” Another article helps teachers keep “SCORE” of key engagement factors, including student success, curiosity, originality, and interpersonal relationships.
As this issue of Educational Leadership shows, fixing the “sieve” will take strategic work. But if the 500+ comments on the Reddit post are any indication, chronic absenteeism is front of mind for classroom teachers. Let’s make addressing it front of mind for states and districts, too, as preparation for the new school year gets underway.
