Help parents/caregivers make the connection between attendance and opportunities for social, emotional and academic growth as well as access to resources that can offer basic needs through conversations, letters or emails and by building a welcoming school environment.
Community partners, including PTAs or other parent-led organizations, can develop programs to educate and help families with barriers to attending school. Business owners can talk to employees about the value of school attendance. Local agencies, nonprofits and volunteers can help get the word out even before school starts.
*Some of these links will take you to the Attendance Works website. To return click on Attendance Awareness Campaign at the top of the AW website.
Talking With Families
- Talking points to help you explain the importance of showing up, especially given the challenges experienced during the pandemic, and to reflect on what is needed to make showing up to school worthwhile
- Talking points for interacting with families with elementary students
- Talking points for interacting with families with teens
- Talking points for interacting with teen students
- Parent-teacher conference guidance
- Interactive exercises to build awareness about why attendance matters at in-person events
Letters, Texts and Calls
- Sample Back-to-School letter
- Toolkit: How to Text Message Parents to Reduce Chronic Absence Using an Evidence-Based Approach (Institute of Education Sciences)
- Back-to-School robocalls
- Tips for contacting hard-to-reach families
Family Handouts
- Handouts for families and parents
- Parent pledge cards (English, Spanish)
- Student Attendance Success Plans to help families track attendance and work with teachers to set goals
- Early Education Attendance Tracking Calendar Page
Promotional Materials
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