A chronically absent student is defined as having missed 10% or 18+ days in a single school year.
Students who attend school regularly are less likely to fall behind and more likely to achieve success in school and beyond.
Learn more from a recent webinar: The Big Idea: Cracking the Code on Chronic Absence (September 24, 2018, 60 min) with Sarah Peterson (Director of Research and Development, Office of Community Schools, NYCDOE); Sarah Jonas (Deputy Executive Director, Office of Community Schools, NYCDOE); and Julie McGarry (Program Manager, High School Initiatives Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence)
Creating a Welcoming and Supportive Climate
The Principal and Community School Director's focus on attendance makes the biggest difference in combating chronic absenteeism by creating a welcoming and supportive climate, offering programs that meet student needs, and a system for recognizing good and improved attendance.
Starting the school year with a set plan of action will help your school address students' chronic absences throughout the year. Identifying target students (Those with a history of chronic absence in the previous year or already missing two days in September) is a key place to begin. Community Schools focus on student interventions according to the following tiers:
Tier 1 Students - Attendance above 90%
Tier 2 Students - Attendance between 80% - 90%
Tier 3 Students - Attendance below 80%
Use these tiers and resources below to help your students improve their attendance.
As a key component of the Every Student, Every Day Campaign, Principals and Community School Directors lead the school to address the issue of chronic absence.
Identifying & Monitoring Impact
Eliminating Chronic Absenteeism: Identifying Target Students
(Webinar Deck, September 26, 2018)
Attendance Program Toolkit
(Principal's Portal)
Every Student, Every Day Toolkit (U.S. DOE)
Google Slides: What is Chronic Absenteeism ?