10 Steps for School Leaders to Address Chronic Absenteeism

By Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, EOS Superintendent-in-Residence

Chronic absenteeism has become a top issue for school leaders across the country, especially after absenteeism rates nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Students are chronically absent if they miss just two days of school per month, or 10% of all school days in a year, according to most definitions.

As a school principal and superintendent for two decades, I dealt with chronic absenteeism directly. In this article, I lay out ten steps that I took to successfully boost student attendance and engagement in my school. 

The Impact of Chronic Absenteeism on Students 

Attendance was always a top priority for me as a school leader. I was proud of my school’s daily attendance rate, which usually hovered around 92%. Over my 13 years as Superintendent, however, this drastically changed.  

As attendance rates declined in my district and others nationwide, the concept of “chronic absenteeism” gained traction – and transformed my perspective on attendance.   

When we learned the adverse effects of a student missing just 18 school days a year, my team began allocating far more attention and resources to monitoring attendance and addressing it both thoughtfully and aggressively.  

We were especially moved to action by alarming research connecting chronic absenteeism to negative outcomes like: 

• Decreased engagement and lower grades 
• Increased drop-out risk 
• Increased feelings of isolation from peers and school community 
• Decreased confidence  
• Decreased post-secondary and vocational opportunities 

Chronic absenteeism also disproportionally impacts historically underserved student groups, who made up a significant percentage of my district. As absenteeism increased in my schools, so did access and achievement gaps.  

Strategies to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism

There are two approaches that I employed to combat chronic absenteeism: Systematic and interpersonal. Both approaches are impactful and, if taken in tandem, can successfully boost student engagement and attendance. 

• I start with five questions that school leaders should ask themselves about their school culture and interpersonal communication methods regarding absenteeism. 

• I then offer five actionable steps leaders can take to transform their systematic approach to boosting attendance.  

Approach 1: Interpersonal Changes 

1. Is your school’s culture inclusive of intentional joy and celebration?

• Is your school fun? Do kids enjoy coming to school? Are their parents happy that their kids are there?
• If not, how can you make school fun, celebratory, and memorable?

My team leaned on enthusiasm and cultural connections. Every morning my dean and I welcomed every student at the door with a handshake and a smile. Then, we held a school-wide morning meeting before going to classes. We used this time to offer motivation, expectations and celebration of accomplishments. We closed this time by reciting our daily creed, “My Heritage.” My staff even created their own pledge: “We will teach each child as if they are our own!” 

2. Are your students being offered a fresh start each day? 

• When students enter the building, are they being harshly reminded of their past infractions?  
• Is your school culture punitive or supportive in its approach to students?
• What message are you sending to students? Is it: “We are not having that today!” or is it: “Today is going to be a great day!” 

Some educators can take students’ behavioral offenses as personal offenses. We have to remember that these are children, and they will make mistakes. We must allow them the safe space to start over. It can be difficult to remember that a child’s previous behavior may be a symptom of challenges they are experiencing outside of school. Your campus culture should offer compassion and support for these children, so that they can grow as a student and person.

3. Do you miss your kids when they are absent?  

• How are you communicating to students and families that you miss them and love them?  
• How are you intentionally connecting with them, person-to-person? 

Your correspondence with chronically absent students and their families should not just be in the form of letters, forms and handbooks. If a student misses school, and especially if a pattern of absenteeism emerges, pick up the phone. A personal message conveying the importance of attendance and the deep care that you have for that student can instill a sense of belonging in them. Students who feel that they belong at school, go to school. 

4. As a leader, how are you communicating the consequences of chronic absenteeism to your staff and parents?  

• Do parents and teachers know the definition of chronic absenteeism?  
• Do they understand the ways that missing even a few school days a month can have on their students’ learning, academic opportunities, and personal growth? 

The most attended PTA/PTSA meeting of the year is often the first one. Take this opportunity to express how important daily attendance is, define chronic absenteeism, and give examples of what this can do to the academic and socio-emotional development of their child. Let them know that you know their child, that you love them, and look forward to seeing them at the front door every morning.

5. How are you celebrating students with strong attendance?  

School leaders are constantly slammed with work and pressure to meet academic standards – and we sometimes forget to celebrate our wins. Before the 180 days of the school year are up, take a moment to formally announce, via intercom or assembly, which classes have perfect attendance. Then, offer tangible rewards, i.e. pizza parties, to those who are setting the standard for performance. This recognition becomes part of the school culture. Everyone notices what the leader values.

Approach 2: Systematic Changes 

1. Identify your district’s norms and systems for tracking attendance.

• Is there a clear system in place?
• Are teachers regularly taking attendance?  
• Are students marked present as a default? 

Clarity is key. Before you can move forward with a game plan for boosting attendance, you have to ensure that the absenteeism data you’re working with is accurate. Aligning norms and checking your student information systems is a crucial first step. 

2. Research your school’s rate of chronic absenteeism.   

• Analyze it. What does the data show you? Where are your biggest areas of improvement? 
• Compare it to other schools in your district.  
• Look for a state report that shares your school’s chronic absenteeism data. 

Do not hide this data; instead share it formally with your staff and stakeholders. This transparently shows that you are not making this priority up, and that it requires urgent action from your whole team. Inform them that this data is accessible to the public. What gets monitored, gets done. 

3. Create an Attendance Goal.  

• Once you’ve gathered the data, work with your staff to create a shared goal for attendance metrics (if one is not already established by your district). 
• Implement this goal as a top priority for your school, and make it a central part of your daily and weekly practices (see the interpersonal approaches above).  

4. Outline Clear Steps Towards Reaching Goal.  

• Use the shared goal to backwards map what the trajectory of this action plan looks like. 
• Produce data displays like charts and graphs that visualize monthly progress towards the goal. Everyone should know if you are moving in the right direction. 
• Make this work a priority, and reflect this commitment in your daily and weekly practices. 

5. Keep Your School Community Updated on Progress 

• During your standing meetings with your staff, PTA, and other stakeholders, revisit your action plan and provide progress updates. 
• Do the same in your newsletters and regular email cadences.   
• Use data displays to tell this story  
• Formally highlight the classes and teachers who are exceeding expectations    

Contact me or click here for more strategies on addressing chronic absenteeism.  

You can also visit my website to learn more.

Dr. Ronald G. Taylor holds a doctorate in education from George Washington University and has over 28 years of successful professional service to students and families in public schools. His career includes 13 years as Chief School Administrator/ Superintendent of Schools for Willingboro Public Schools and the School District of South Orange and Maplewood in New Jersey. Dr. Taylor has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Education at Rowan University.