Webinar #1: Nurture Belonging in the Spring!
The 2026 Attendance Awareness Campaign kicked off on April 1 with our first webinar, “Nurture Belonging in the Spring.” Speakers shared what they are doing during the spring months to strengthen a sense of belonging among the school community and emphasized that these actions are part of a year-long attendance strategy. Hosted by Attendance Works, […]
AAC 2025: Checking the Metrics!
Attendance numbers remain worrisome this year. Recent reports indicate that higher chronic absence is contributing to a drop in academic achievement. Despite these challenges, we were impressed to see how the Attendance Awareness Campaign during September (or August) was celebrated by schools and communities across the country. They recorded podcast and awareness videos, hosted assemblies and contests, engaged local […]
Webinar #4: Family Engagement Lays the Foundation for Attendance and Learning!
The Attendance Awareness Campaign concluded its 2025 webinar series with “Family Engagement Lays the Foundation for Attendance and Learning,” hosted by Attendance Works and the Institute for Educational Leadership. Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, shared new research from Chicago and California with initial findings showing that positive school climate and strong family connections […]
Webinar #2: Health, Well-being and Safety Are Essential to Showing Up!
The second webinar in the 2025 Attendance Awareness Campaign series, “Health, Well-being and Safety Are Essential to Showing Up”, took place May 14! Find the recording and materials here. Kwesi Rollins, chief program officer at the Institute for Educational Leadership and Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, opened the session by underscoring this year’s […]
Webinar #1: Teams Make All the Difference!
The 2025 Attendance Awareness Campaign launched April 2 with our first webinar which explored how school teams can help educators build meaningful relationships with students and families, a foundational strategy for reducing chronic absence. Find the recording. “Teams Make All the Difference for Improving Attendance,” hosted by Attendance Works and the Institute for Educational Leadership, […]
Scholastic Sponsors Attendance Awareness Campaign to Curb Chronic Absence
This is a guest blog post by Amanda Alexander, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education For more than 100 years, Scholastic has remained steadfast in its commitment to helping children make sense of the world and their unique place in it through rich literature. We strive to ensure all children have equitable access to authentic and engaging stories […]
Leadership for Sustainability: Superintendents Making a Difference
The fourth and final webinar of the 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign, “Leadership for Sustainability: Superintendents Making a Difference,” (September 25, 2024), heard from local and state superintendents who are leading efforts to reduce absenteeism and engage students and families in school. The webinar also explored a new Ad Council survey on family attitudes towards attendance […]
Essential Partnerships for Showing Up: Families, Youth and Community
The second webinar of the 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign, “Essential Partnerships for Showing Up: Families, Youth and Community” (held on May 15, 2024), focused on engagement approaches designed to improve attendance for K-12 students. At the start of the webinar, Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement at the Institute for Educational Leadership discussed […]
On the Front Line: The Crucial Role of Teachers
The first webinar of the 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign – On the Front Line: The Crucial Role of Teachers (April 3) – investigated support systems that can equip teachers to forge relationships with students and their families. Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, and Kwesi Rollins, vice president for leadership and engagement at the […]
Thank You AAC Corporate Sponsors!
Attendance Works is deeply grateful to our 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign corporate sponsors: EveryDay Labs, Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools, RaaWee K12 Solutions and School Technology Associates. EveryDay Labs Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools RaaWeeK12 Solutions School Technology Associates Bringing resources without charge through this campaign to schools, districts and states across the country […]