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Chronic absenteeism is seen as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a given year.

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More than 15 percent of students are missing almost a month of school (Maciag, 2018).
The most recent federal data suggest more than 1 in 7 students are chronically absent from our public schools. It’s a widespread problem: At least a dozen schools in nearly every state report more than 20 percent of students are chronically absent (Maciag, 2018).

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Stakeholders must work together to identify and overcome barriers to attendance.
Schools must use the right interventions to build a positive culture of attendance and an engaging school environment that motivates daily attendance ( "Why Attendance?", 2018).

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Identify students with poor by using existing data to calculate chronic absence.
Use data to determine where intervention is needed to address the chronic absence.
Use the data to examine chronic absence by grade level, classroom,  poverty rates and student subgroups("Why Attendance?",  2018.)

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The six main causes of chronic absence include ("Six Causes, 2016"):

Bad grades- Struggling in class can be embarrassing for students.

Bullying-Bullying can make school feel unsafe.

Illnesses

Caring for a family member- Often students are spending time helping their family instead of being at school.

Mental and emotional health issues

Difficulties with housing or food

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Principals make a difference when they ("For Principals: Leading Attendance, 2018"):

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Principals make a difference when they ("For Principals: Leading Attendance, 2018"):

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Cultivate a School Wide Culture of Attendance

Use Chronic Absence Data to Determine Need for Additional Supports

Develop Staff Capacity to Adopt Effective Attendance Practice

Advocate for Resources and Policies To Improve Attendance

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Hardy 2018 suggests a few ways educators can help prevent or reduce absences as well as making school a place that students want to be which includes:

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Hardy 2018 suggests a few ways educators can help prevent or reduce absences as well as making school a place that students want to be which includes:

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Clearly communicate school attendance expectations to students and their families, e.g. in the student handbook, school website, and in face-to-face meetings

Form an attendance team is the first line of defense against chronic absenteeism which  monitors attendance daily, tracks progress toward attendance goals, and communicates with parents and students about issues as they arise

Intervene early by creating and setting “triggers” to instantly alert the attendance team and school leaders to absences

Use a 3:1 positivity ratio which will  help ensure that teachers are giving students enough positive reinforcement throughout the school day

Create a more positive school culture

Provide one system for tracking daily attendance, tardies, behavior, and school culture data

Celebrate individual, class, and school-wide successes

Provide additional support systems as needed

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Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day. 

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Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day. 

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A key factor that affects school attendance is parents who don’t value education in general, and school attendance in particular (Killian, 2015).

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Effective Strategies for Parent and Community Involvement: 

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Effective Strategies for Parent and Community Involvement: 

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Assess families’ needs and interests about ways of working with the schools

Set clear and measurable objectives based on parent/guardian and community input to help foster a sense of cooperation and communication among families, communities, and schools

Hire and train a parent/family liaison to directly contact parents/guardians and coordinate family activities. The liaison should be bilingual as needed and sensitive to the needs of family and the community, including the non-English speaking community

Develop multiple outreach mechanisms to inform families, businesses, and the community about family involvement policies and programs through newsletters, slide shows, videotapes, and local newspapers

Recognize the importance of a community's historic, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural resources in generating interest in family involvement

Use creative forms of communication between educators and families that are personal, goal-oriented, and make optimal use of new communication technologies

Mobilize parents/families as volunteers in the school assisting with instructional tasks, meal service, and administrative office functions. Family members might also act as invited classroom speakers and volunteer tutors.

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Repeat the importance of attendance at every opportunity, including parent information nights, newsletters and parent-teacher interviews.

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Getting Students to School: Using Family andCommunity Involvement to Reduce ChronicAbsenteeismby Steven B. Sheldon and Joyce L. Epstein

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Getting Students to School: Using Family andCommunity Involvement to Reduce ChronicAbsenteeismby Steven B. Sheldon and Joyce L. Epstein

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This study suggests that reducing chronic absenteeism requires a partnership of the school, students, families, and community.
Three main conclusions may be drawn from the results of the study:

Schools need to take a comprehensive approach to involve families and the community in ways that help students reduce chronic absenteeism.

Frequent and positive communications with parents about attendance are needed to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Future studies need larger and comparative samples to improve knowledge on school practices for family and community involvement to reduce chronic absenteeism.

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School, family, and community partnerships must work together to reduce chronic absenteeism. 

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School, family, and community partnerships must work together to reduce chronic absenteeism. 

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Goal: Reduction of chronic absenteeism in student population

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Goal: Reduction of chronic absenteeism in student population

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Maciag, M. (2018). Chronic Absenteeism a Major Problem in U.S. Schools.  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from http://www.governing.com/topics/education/gov-chronic-absenteeism-schools.html.

Why Attendance and Chronic Absence?  (2018).  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from https://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/count-us-toolkit-2018/attendance-chronic-absence/.

(2016).  SIX CAUSES—AND SOLUTIONS—FOR CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from https://www.naesp.org/communicator-september-2016/six-causes-and-solutions-chronic-absenteeism.

(2018).  For Principals: Leading Attendance.  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/for-principals-leading-attendance/.

Hardy, D.  (2018).  8 ways to prevent chronic absenteeism.  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from https://www.educationdive.com/news/8-ways-to-prevent-chronic-absenteeism/527794/.

Killian, S.  (2015).  10 Proven Ways To Improve School Attendance.  Retrieved February 21, 2019 from http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/improve-school-attendance/.

Sheldon, S.B. and Epstein, J.L.  (2005).  Getting Students to School: Using Family and

Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism.  Retrieved February 22, 2019 from http://www.adi.org/journal/fw04/Sheldon%20&%20Epstein.pdf.

Green, R.L.  (2017). Practicing the Art of Leadership, 5th Edition. [VitalSource]. Retrieved February 22, 2019 from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/undefined/.