School Readiness
Create strong foundations for early learning.
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Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, is a growing challenge that undermines students’ academic progress, engagement, and long-term success. Rates of chronic absence surged during the pandemic and remain persistently high, particularly among younger students and those facing systemic barriers—making attendance a critical lever for improving school readiness and school success. While educators and policymakers widely recognize the importance of regular attendance, there is limited, up-to-date evidence on the root causes of chronic absenteeism in post-pandemic contexts and which strategies are most effective at reducing it at scale. We invest in rigorous, actionable research to better understand the drivers of absenteeism and to identify promising approaches such as early identification, family-centered strategies, and school- and community-based supports that help students show up, stay engaged, and thrive.
Completed
Connection, Trust, and Learning: Student Attendance in the Middle and High School Grades Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study examines how student absenteeism changed in Chicago Public Schools following the COVID-19 pandemic and explores how attendance relates to academic outcomes and school climate.
Completed
Back to the Classroom
This mixed-methods research study aimed to understand the messaging and narrative(s) that would effectively communicate to parents why consistent in-person attendance is critical to a child’s development, and encourage them to attend.
Completed
Effective Family-School Partnerships Lead to Improved Student Attendance: How the TalkingPoints Universal Family Engagement Platform Decreased Absence in Tulsa Public Schools
This study involved over 30,000 students from 71 schools within the Tulsa Public School District. The research team used observational data and propensity score matching to evaluate the impact of TalkingPoints on student attendance rates.
Completed
Engaging Families Leads to Student Academic Gains and Increased Attendance: How TalkingPoints Improved Outcomes in a Large Urban School District
This is a retrospective quasi-experiment of TalkingPoints, an online platform designed to facilitate communication between teachers and families whose primary language is not English.
In Progress
Evaluating Statewide Policies on Student Engagement and Learning Time through the States Leading States Initiative
This set of studies evaluates statewide policies aimed at improving student engagement, attendance, and learning time.
In Progress
Evaluating Behaviorally Informed Messaging to Improve Preschool Attendance
This study evaluates the impact of behaviorally informed messaging on preschool attendance and family engagement.
In Progress
Evaluating the Impact of the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment on Student Absenteeism and Outcomes
This study evaluates the impact of a statewide teacher incentive policy on student absenteeism and engagement.
In Progress
Evaluating the Impact of School-Based Health and Behavioral Health Services on Chronic Absenteeism in Los Angeles
This study examines how school-based health and mental health services are associated with changes in chronic absenteeism among students in a large urban district.
In Progress
Evaluating the Impact of Springboard Collaborative on Early Literacy and Student Outcomes
This study evaluates the impact of a family engagement and literacy intervention, Springboard Collaborative, on early reading outcomes and student attendance in kindergarten through third grade.
In Progress
Evaluating the Impact of the TalkingPoints Family Engagement Platform on Student Attendance and Achievement
This study evaluates the impact of a scalable family communication platform, TalkingPoints, on student attendance and academic outcomes in early childhood and elementary grades.
In Progress
Evaluating the Impact of Parent-Teacher Home Visits on Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
This study evaluates the impact of a home visiting model (Parent Teacher Home Visits) on student attendance and chronic absenteeism, with a focus on strengthening family-school relationships.
In Progress
Understanding America Study: Parent and Student Perspectives on Absenteeism and AI in Education
This study uses a nationally representative survey panel to examine parent and student perceptions, behaviors, and decision-making related to student attendance and absenteeism.
In Progress
Understanding the Drivers and Academic Implications of Chronic Absenteeism in West Virginia and South Carolina
This study examines the underlying reasons for student absenteeism in West Virginia and South Carolina and explores how different types of absences relate to academic outcomes across student groups.
In Progress
Understanding the Drivers and Consequences of Chronic Absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools
This study examines the drivers and consequences of chronic absenteeism among middle grade students in Chicago, comparing pre- and post-pandemic patterns.
Open Research Questions
In-progress studies that address these questions are:
- Understanding the Drivers and Consequences of Chronic Absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools
- Understanding the Drivers and Academic Implications of Chronic Absenteeism in West Virginia and South Carolina
- Understanding America Study: Parent and Student Perspectives on Absenteeism and AI in Education
Completed study findings aligned with these questions in our repository include:
In-progress studies that address these questions are:
- Evaluating the Impact of Parent-Teacher Home Visits on Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
- Evaluating the Impact of the TalkingPoints Family Engagement Platform on Student Attendance and Achievement
- Evaluating the Impact of Springboard Collaborative on Early Literacy and Student Outcomes
- Evaluating the Impact of School-Based Health and Behavioral Health Services on Chronic Absenteeism in Los Angeles
- Evaluating the Impact of the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment on Student Absenteeism and Outcomes
- Evaluating Behaviorally Informed Messaging to Improve Preschool Attendance
- Evaluating Statewide Policies on Student Engagement and Learning Time through the States Leading States Initiative
In-progress studies that address these questions are:
- Evaluating the Impact of the TalkingPoints Family Engagement Platform on Student Attendance and Achievement
- Evaluating Statewide Policies on Student Engagement and Learning Time through the States Leading States Initiative
Completed study findings aligned with these questions in our repository include:
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