5 ways to beat low attendance in 2024!

Post-pandemic school absenteeism is widespread, and it’s worse in schools where the poverty levels are higher . It’s not just a problem in higher grades either— indeed, some of the largest figures for school days lost come from kindergarten .??

There are a number of reasons why we’re seeing this uptick:??

• Good attendance habits may never have developed due to pandemic learning??
• Economic downturn sees an uptick in illnesses due to changes to health literacy, healthcare and nutrition??
• Rising costs: transport poverty and the cost of supplies, uniforms and washing all play a part??
• More learners than ever before are experiencing mental health problems?
• Rising childcare costs see older siblings taking time out to care for younger ones??
• With a contracting job market and layoffs in the news, some older students begin to see attending school as a waste of time?

It’s worth noting that things do seem to have recovered a little in the 2022-3 school year, but not as much as we need them to… and crucially, we’re still nowhere near pre-pandemic levels.?

What could schools do to help support learners back into regular attendance???

?? School supply donation drives ? ?

Learners find it embarrassing and risk sanctions when they show up to class without supplies. But we also know that educators often end up paying for classroom supplies themselves , and footing additional bills could land them with a large financial burden.??

Running charitable initiatives where unused school supplies and copies of class books can be donated for learners who don’t have access to them can help supply learners who are struggling (and it’s greener, too!)?

?? Provide washing facilities ? ?

Nobody wants to go to school in unclean clothes: it can lead to feelings of shame, social anxiety, and even bullying. But what can students do if they don’t have the facilities or time at home???

In 2017 a Kansas City public school reported that only 46% of students were meeting attendance requirements. After the school installed a washing machine, this figure almost doubled to 84% . ? ?

??Engage on absence causes? ?

Sometimes they’re sick. Sometimes it’s as simple as not wanting to sit next to another learner, or that a particular subject makes them anxious. Sometimes it goes deeper, and things at home have prevented them from coming to school, like money, transport, or parental problems.??

Ask about absences, even if they’re short-term and create a deeper understanding of why a student missed class. You can find out more about the kinds of conversations that work and roadmaps out of poor attendance at the School Avoidance Alliance .??

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??Telehealth ? ?

Research suggests that on-site telehealth in schools can drastically reduce the amount of time taken out for appointments, as well as support lower-income learners care for health problems that might come between them and attending class.??

Data demonstrates that students in grades 3-8 who had access to telemedicine on-site missed on average 10% fewer days of school and were 29% less likely to become chronically absent. That’s up to 20 fewer days of school missed!?

??Create a better dialogue ? ?

Attendance dialogues with parents are fairly short: if school has been missed, you call asking for an explanation, and if school has been missed repeatedly, it gets handled by truancy teams. But by adding positive conversations into the mix too, it can help get parents on-board about attendance, and add another layer to the learner’s attendance safety net.??

Calls and postcards for good attendance are great, and ones that celebrate improvement are even better. Get a better, brighter dialogue going about making it to class!?

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Are you worried about attendance and absenteeism going into the next semester— or have you successfully implemented a strategy that’s boosted attendance in your classroom??

We’d love to hear about it in the comments below…??