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Attendance Awareness Campaign Update
A project led by Attendance Works
September 6, 2023
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Involve Community Partners!
Community agencies, nonprofits, churches and other local partners can help districts, schools and families to improve attendance and engagement. Our handouts can help you communicate with community partners about what they can do and why they should pitch in.
City leaders make a difference! They can recognize Attendance Awareness Month by issuing a proclamation that highlights why attendance is important to the community. We partnered with the National League of Cities on a fact and tip sheet detailing how cities can support improved attendance.
City and school leaders can leverage local media! Offer a story about a local Attendance Awareness event or campaign. Or send a press release using our template for the 2023-24 school year.
Health providers have an important role in ensuring students do not miss school unnecessarily. We developed a special American Academy of Pediatrics training for school staff and related health professionals. Find Addressing Chronic Absenteeism from School.
| | Reducing high levels of chronic absence requires a continual focus on engagement, support and the rebuilding of routines. Donate today and help propel the push for a full educational recovery for all kids and youth. | |
Did you know there are several easy steps that superintendents, district or school communication staff can do to boost student attendance and engagement at the start of the school year? We collaborated with the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) to create this handout with five effective communication actions. | |
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Our Student Success Plan and Help Bank, translated into four languages, help families and older students monitor their attendance and make back up plans when challenges make it difficult to get to school.
Learn more about why students are missing school, or what can motivate them to show up every day, using free qualitative data collection strategies such as an empathy interview, 2 by 10 relationship building or surveys.
Our next free AAC Webinar (#4) is: Sustaining Success: Investing in Showing Up! on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. 2pm-1:30pm PT / 3pm–4:30pm ET. Register here, and check out the recordings of those you missed!
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In California, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools has launched an Attendance Awareness Campaign with banners, flyers and social media material.
In California, the Stanislaus County Office of Education and all 25 school districts have embarked on a county-wide "Every Day Counts" attendance initiative which emphasizes the importance of attending school daily.
In Maryland, the Montgomery County Public Schools’ ALL TOGETHER NOW, In School Together, Learn Together, Achieve Together campaign includes an Attendance Action Plan designed to reduce chronic absenteeism.
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New Research
A recent analysis by Alan Ginsberg found a correlation between the number of missed days and lower National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.
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State News
At least 18 states have approved laws advancing attendance policies, with the most recent approved this July in Maine. These laws are not identical, and they promote a variety of issues, such as clarifying rules around taking and reporting student attendance, requiring intervention strategies and softening punitive approaches to truancy. Read our analysis.
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Events
The Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC) at WestEd invites you to the next three installments of Equity-Driven Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absence webinar series. On September 12, participate in session 4: Increasing Attendance and Engagement for American Indian and Alaska Native Students. Register for all 3.
Did you miss the PowerSchool webinar last month, featuring Attendance Works? Access the recording of Strategies and Interventions to Improve K-12 Attendance and Reduce Chronic Absenteeism.
Sign up as a team for our three-part, online PD for educators. Attendance Works team members will show you how to implement strategies, support students and mobilize community partners to engage students (and their families) that are missing school.
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Since 1964, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) has partnered with under-resourced communities to equip leaders to build effective systems that improve outcomes for children, youth and families. Using practices that reflect the needs of community leaders, IEL builds relationships with community leaders that support the deeper impact needed to address systemic challenges in 400+ community partners.
Celebrate Community School Coordinator’s week September 17-23 using the 2023 toolkit! Staffed by IEL, the Coalition for Community Schools prepares and mobilizes leaders to advance community schools as a key equity strategy for children, families and communities.
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MENTOR aims to drive equity and close the mentoring gap through quality mentoring relationships for young people. They activate a diverse cross-sector movement that prioritizes relationships and fuels opportunity for young people everywhere they are — from schools to workplaces and beyond.
Registration for the 2024 National Mentoring Summit will open on Tuesday, September 12. The Summit is an opportunity to learn from and connect with other passionate individuals working to expand young people’s access to quality mentoring.
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Corporate Sponsors
A special thanks to our Attendance Awareness Campaign corporate sponsors for their commitment to help ensure that every child and youth is engaged and in school every day. Their investment makes it possible for us to provide you with free strategies and materials.
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Attendance in the News
Where Are the Students?, New York Times, September 5, 2023
Reaching kindergarten parents is key to addressing dramatic post-pandemic rise in chronic absenteeism, panel says, EdSource, August 25, 2023
Millions of students across the nation are missing school, Education Week, August 23, 2023
Ways to improve attendance for Wisconsin students this year, Post-Crescent, August 21, 2023
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Social Media Sample
Mark your calendar for the last Attendance Awareness Campaign 2023 free webinar, Sustaining Success: Investing in Showing Up, on 9/27! Register today: https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/webinars/ #SchoolEveryDay
We are now on Instagram! Find updates on our free resources, strategies, reports and events. Follow us @attendanceworks
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Campaign Convening Partners
See the full list of Attendance Awareness Partners here.
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Copyright © 2023 Attendance Works, All rights reserved | | | | |
