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• New Research: Parents Trust Teachers Most for Attendance-Related Messaging
• Writing for Busy Readers
• October MTSS Spotlight: Data-Based Decision Making
• Early Attendance Interventions
• Commonly Asked Questions
• Walking School Bus: Birney Elementary
• OSPI Wants to Hear About your Attendance work!
• Upcoming Events
• Questions on Attendance?

New Research: Parents Trust Teachers Most for Attendance-Related Messaging

OSPI has showcased new research from The Ad Council Research Institute on chronic student absenteeism. This research is helping districts develop strategies to improve attendance. This month, we are highlighting the top sources for attendance-related messaging. Key Findings: Parents primarily trust teachers to communicate about their child’s regular school attendance, with 61% of parents favoring them. Principals/assistant principals and guidance/school counselors are next, both at 47%, followed by mental health professionals inside the school (44%) and outside the school (40%). Resources on addressing attendance during teacher conferences

Please review the webinar recording with the passcode below. Passcode: eZ4W$8we

Writing for Busy Readers

Effective Attendance Communication: Engaging Busy Families for Better Attendance

Effective communication is key to improving school attendance. By utilizing clear, concise, and engaging messages, we can ensure that families stay informed and involved. The Writing for Busy Readers provides six principles to enhance communication methods, making it easier for busy families to stay connected and support their child's education.

October MTSS Spotlight: Data-Based Decision Making

Attendance Data Champions bridge the gap between data collection and actionable strategies. Does your Attendance Team have a Data Champion?

Using attendance data to address chronic absenteeism allows schools to identify frequently absent students and intervene early. This proactive approach helps uncover the reasons behind absenteeism and enables schools to provide targeted support, improving both attendance and academic performance.

Start with your Attendance Data 

• You can explore your history of regular attendance with your team by looking up your school’s regular attendance data on the OSPI Report Card. Consider watching the following videos on attendance data:   
  • "Leveraging your Data to Implement Effective Tiered Interventions"
  • "Attendance Data to Inform Tier 1"
  • GATE Webinar: Systems & Interventions for Attendance & Reengagement
  • AttendanceWorks Worksheet: Understanding the root causes for student absenteeism

Examples of Tiered Data

• Tier 1 Attendance Data - Universal Patterns for Prevention (examples: Monday - Friday, Periods 1-6, holiday dips). Find more details here. 
• Tier 2 Attendance Data - By Barrier (examples: transportation, experiencing homelessness or foster care system)  
• Tier 3 Attendance Data - Top 5% of students who are missing or severely chronically absent. 

Qualitative Data Using Empathy Interviews

Empathy interviews are an effective method to involve students and families in pinpointing and understanding issues. These interviews can be as straightforward as asking a student, “Tell me about a time when you weren't able to get to school, what got in the way?” This approach yields evidence-based insights for your Tier 1 weekly attendance meetings.  

• Empathy Interview Format for Parents/Guardians

Early Attendance Interventions

For both excused and unexcused absences, early interventions that address the root cause is the most effective approach.

Whether a parent conference, a phone call or a home visit, these conversations with families and students are opportunities to get curious and to seek to understand the underlying reasons for absences and devise solutions. For ideas that address specific barriers or root causes, please see the Root Causes page.  Early Interventions Resources Attendance Works Student Attendance Success Plans with My Family's Help Bank Greetings by the Door: Positive Greetings by the Door: Evaluation of a Low-Cost, High-Yield Proactive Classroom Management Strategy.  Nudge Letter- Chronic Absence Template  Nudge Letter- Improved Attendance Template

Commonly Asked Questions

Does OSPI offer guidance regarding a student’s grade placement when they enroll in school? 

No. Determination of a student’s grade placement is identified through the school district’s board policies and procedures. School districts have local authority to determine a process for student placement.

Walking School Bus: Birney Elementary

A Walking School Bus program can enhance school attendance and reduce tardiness

A walking school bus fosters stronger family and community connections, making it an invaluable addition to any school’s efforts to promote student well-being and engagement. Tacoma Public Schools partnered with the City of Tacoma's Safe Routes to School program and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to develop a walking school bus that helps get students to and from school. 

• Tacoma Public Schools Walking School Bus Implementation Guide 

Recently, the OSPI Communications Team captured the vibrant spirit of Birney Elementary School’s Walking School Bus in a special video. Don’t miss it—check out the YouTube link below!

ESD Regional Attendance Spotlight

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) Attendance & Reengagement Cooperative Pilot Advisory Committee. By Anthony Brown, Director, Learning, Leadership, and Student Success, Educational Service District 121 We are proud to continue our collaboration with three school districts: Franklin Pierce, Tacoma, and Federal Way. One of the key services provided through our Attendance & Reengagement Cooperative Pilot is the Street Data Institute. This initiative is designed to leverage real-time, ground-level data to help districts better understand the root causes of absenteeism and disengagement.  Click here to watch the PSESD Street Data Video.

OSPI Wants to Hear About your Attendance work!

The OSPI Attendance Team is eager to hear about your attendance initiatives this school year. We know that schools and districts are doing great work to improve attendance and build effective systems, and we want to highlight your efforts. Please email your attendance highlights to the OSPI Attendance inbox at Attendance@k12.wa.us.

Upcoming Events

OSPI T.A.L.K.S Series: Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 12- 1PM Truancy & Attendance Learning and Knowledge Sharing series is for District Attendance and Truancy Liaisons.

OSPI Attendance Office Hours: Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 12-1 PM This is an opportunity for anyone seeking guidance on attendance-related questions

Attendance Related Articles

• Millions of kids are still skipping school — some districts lure them back | The Seattle Times
• Students Feel Less Connected to School. Here's Why That Matters (edweek.org)
• Chronic absenteeism: Addressing the cultural shifts behind a new normal
• Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Lessons from Community Schools | Learning Policy Institute
• Team Sport: Rhode Island’s Statewide Strategy for Reducing Chronic Absenteeism - FutureEd (future-ed.org)

Questions on Attendance?

OSPI Attendance Team has a new voicemail to answer your attendance questions. Please reach out to the OSPI Attendance Team by dialing 360-725-4957. Leave a voicemail with your name, email address, and inquiry. A team member will follow up with you within two business days.

Email the Attendance team for support with your questions at Attendance@k12.wa.us. Visit the OSPI Attendance Webpage  OSPI Attendance & Truancy YouTube Playlist