We have developed a short survey asking for your input on what we did well for this year's Attendance Awareness Month Campaign and how we can improve. We have 12 short questions that should take 3-5 minutes to complete. Fill in your contact information and enter a drawing to win one of two $50 gift cards. Find the survey here.

We've heard from so many about how they are acting to improve attendance. Student athletes recorded PSAs for local radio stations in Texas, daily bulletin announcements and weekly robocalls to homes were delivered in California, and student poster or video contests were successfully held in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington! Superintendents made videos, school boards issued proclamations and mayors were quoted in local news articles. Click here to see what others are doing!

The Share Your Story Map is still open. We're collecting posts from schools, districts, community groups and other partners on the 2018 Map through Oct 31. Share Your Story here.

Impact Tulsa and its partners have launched the Be Here to Be There campaign aimed at changing the culture of attendance. The campaign includes a series of short videos showing that students who are in school every day are preparing for their future. The nonprofit launched a blog series about attendance with the first post, Attendance predictive model: driving policy changes and interventions for students at risk of chronic absenteeism.

J.L. Lomax Elementary School in Valdosta, Georgia is working diligently to promote Attendance Awareness Month including by hosting Spirit Fridays. In addition, students who arrive on time and have no absences can write their names on stars displayed on a board. Valdosta City Schools officials invited any and all professionals or skilled workers to wear uniforms or professional attire to "Team Up for Attendance Day" on every school campus. 

Dalhart Independent School District in Texas recorded local radio PSA's with senior student athletes and an article involving the mayor and superintendent of Dalhart appeared in the local newspaper. At-Risk Interventionist Kurtis Alba is providing schools with attendance progress reports every three weeks, and meeting with attendance personnel every six weeks to share success stories and encouragement. See the attendance page. 

Every six weeks, Sanchez Elementary School in McAllen, Texas, rewards students with perfect attendance with attendance dances including fun activities, lights, and music by a DJ. Other activities include a before-school running and walking club and exercise program. Sanchez Elementary had the highest attendance in the district last year, receiving four out of six attendance trophies awarded.

Attendance Awareness Month Partners take the lead in disseminating info about opportunities for participation and generating excitement about Attendance Awareness Month. Many have posted blogs or included attendance in their September campaigns. Here is a sampling:

America's Promise Alliance's blog, Get Involved in the Fight Against Chronic Absence highlighted chronic absence data, research and resources for community and other partners.

American Federation of Teacher's post, Attendance Awareness: How to Defeat an Overlooked Barrier to Equity, Share My Lesson, shows how teachers can address chronic absence.

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading featured Attendance Works resources, webinars and blogs in 13 different emails sent to constituents and GLR communities from August 17 - October 5. Here are a few examples: 

• Support the Superintendents Call to Action
• Welcome to Attendance Awareness Month
• Reducing Chronic Absence Requires a Trauma-Informed Response

Get Schooled opened its 2018 Attendance Challenge and developed a video that shows the true impact of its 2017 Attendance Challenge that wrapped last Fall. 

Communities in Schools 2018 report Community Matters outlined CIS's accomplishments in the 2016-17 school year with a focus on chronic absenteeism.

Mentor National focused on chronic absence during the week of September 17-21 as part of its Back to School campaign, and developed a social media messaging toolkit about mentoring as a strategy to help students stay in school link:

Scholastic posted two blogs, How Superintendents Can Help Reduce Chronic Absence, and Putting Attendance on the Map.

The Economic Policy Institutes' new report takes a deep dive into student absenteeism and its influence on academic performance. Using NAEP data the report describes how much school children are missing; which groups of children miss school most often; and any changes in these patterns between 2003 and 2015. The report also shows evidence showing that higher levels of absenteeism are associated with lower levels of student performance. Find the report.

The Great American High School report, by Civic Enterprise and Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education shows that 1,300 traditional high schools need serious improvement and redesign. From the inner city to the heartland, these high schools reside in 18 states and sit at the fault lines of race, class, and inequity in America.  Find the report. 

REL West's latest infographic shows how displaying various data graphically can help educators more easily identify attendance patterns and groups of students who are chronically absent.

Learn more: http://ow.ly/GFC530m0cAq

Do you have a chronic absence problem? Attendance Works has created the Teaching Attendance Curriculum, an online, interactive educational program designed to equip teachers and school support staff with an understanding of the issue, and the guidance and resources they need to reduce chronic absences in grades K-12. Register.

Join Panorama Education and Attendance Works on Oct. 12, 2018, at 12 p.m. ET, in a webinar that explores how schools and districts are rethinking their approaches to chronic absenteeism. Speakers will share the ways districts can leverage school climate and social-emotional learning (SEL) to create positive school environments and foster the development of social-emotional skills that support increased attendance. Register here.

Tweet It!

Attendance has moved from the back of the class to the front row. A new tool made possible by @hamiltonproj & @attendanceworks helps educators identify and ultimately reduce chronic absenteeism in their districts http://bit.ly/2DF0wRf  #SchoolEveryDay

The new report Data Matters @attendanceworks @JHU_EGC shows how you can use #chronicabsence data to interrupt patterns of inequity & improve outcomes for all kids, particularly our most vulnerable Ss. All kids deserve an equal opportunity to learn & thrive! https://bit.ly/2wusNE9 #SchoolEveryDay

Campaign Convening Partners