We assume the American school experience is universal, but this assumption can be particularly isolating for Latin American families. Holding meetings with newcomer families can improve attendance and parent engagement in such families.

If students commonly start off excited and happy to be in school, how do they begin to hate school and become chronically late and/or absent, and how can we fix it?

If students are checking out and not engaged in the classroom, then they will not want to attend school. Neuroscience teaches us that we must ignite the learner’s attention before any learning can be processed.

One of the underutilized human resources in a school is the attendance clerk. Given this realization, one school created daily Attendance Huddles as a forum for leaders to obtain information and make decisions.

Improving attendance in K-12 settings requires a comprehensive approach that centers around diversity, equity and inclusion. Educators can foster an environment where every student feels valued and motivated to attend school regularly.

Los Angeles Unified has prioritized understanding and mitigating the root causes of chronic absenteeism via the iAttend initiative. This approach to tackling student absenteeism involves multiple tiers coordinated and implemented throughout the district by utilizing a team approach.

Enrollment and fiscal realities within school districts may result in the difficult but necessary decision to close schools. Drawing from the experiences of Pomona Unified School District, here are several key considerations.