| Title: |
Attendance Practices in High-Absenteeism Districts. EdWorkingPaper No. 24-932 |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Jeremy Singer; Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University |
| Source: |
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2024. |
| Availability: |
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
40 |
| Publication Date: |
2024 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
Attendance; Educational Practices; School Districts; COVID-19; Pandemics; Principals; Administrator Surveys; Barriers; Educational Planning; Educational Improvement; Communication (Thought Transfer); Social Differences; Elementary Secondary Education; Educational Change; Educational Policy; Educational Legislation; Federal Legislation; School Culture; Partnerships in Education; Resource Allocation; Attendance Patterns; Social Services |
| Geographic Terms: |
Michigan |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: |
Every Student Succeeds Act 2015 |
| Abstract: |
Educational policymakers, leaders, and researchers are paying increasing attention to student attendance and chronic absenteeism, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though researchers have documented the consequences and causes of absenteeism, there is limited empirical evidence about what schools and districts are actually doing to improve attendance. This study presents evidence about the types of attendance practices that forty-seven high-absenteeism districts in Michigan are planning and implementing. I draw on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data from principal surveys, case studies, observations, and school improvement plans. In the 2022-23 school year, principals reported using communication practices, incentives, and to an extent providing resources to address barriers to attendance. In improvement plans, districts planned to create new organizational infrastructure and hire new personnel, with less emphasis on specific practices. These findings highlight a reliance on communication-based strategies and limited existing organizational infrastructure for addressing attendance. Though these districts have planned to develop new attendance systems and practices, it is unclear whether they will substantially reduce absenteeism, since they do not substantially address social and economic inequalities at the root of high absenteeism rates. I conclude with recommendations for monitoring new attendance practices, addressing root causes, and avoiding counterproductive practices. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2025 |
| Accession Number: |
ED672503 |
| Database: |
ERIC |