Research on reducing public school absenteeism highlights several successful approaches. These include: Community Schools, Addressing Transportation Challenges, Morning routine support, Health services, Parental Communication and Engagement, and Positive Messaging.

These strategies emphasize a multifaceted approach tailored to local community needs, recognizing that addressing absenteeism often requires addressing broader socio-economic and emotional challenges faced by students and their families. Hence the Community Schools for example.

Reducing absenteeism in school students highlights several measures- like have a talk with their parents, show them the drawbacks of late students on their studies.

I want to start with a quote from Vygotski ‘Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of numerous abilities to think about a great variety of things’.

In the classroom I work with the REAPSES Method, working through learning style corners at all educational levels. The aim is to deal with a subject taking into account all the learning styles that can be found in the classroom: active, reflective, theoretical, pragmatic.

Here students can learn the subject through the theoretical basis, from reflection, from movement and experimentation.

Here is a link to the article that talks about this method:

https://doi.org/10.55777/rea.v13iEspecial.1593

and a video explaining the method:

https://youtu.be/dPTO8YGtUJY?si=gzXI5uxrdErMs3PC

Best regards,

Reina Castellanos Vega

1. Family and community-based interventions

Engaging families and communities in students’ education is critical for improving attendance. Programmes like Families and Schools Together (FAST) have successfully reduced absenteeism by involving families in school activities and strengthening the home-school relationship (McDonald & Frey, 1999). Similarly, Sheldon and Epstein (2004) found that fostering family and community involvement can reduce chronic absenteeism by creating a supportive student network.

2. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Multi-level frameworks like Response to Intervention (RtI) are effective in addressing absenteeism by providing universal interventions for all students (Tier 1), targeted support for those at risk (Tier 2), and intensive interventions for chronically absent students (Tier 3). Research by Sugai and Horner (2002) highlights the effectiveness of MTSS in improving attendance and behaviour outcomes, while Freeman et al. (2016) report success with tiered systems in high schools through a randomised trial of interventions.

3. Communication and targeted messaging

Studies have shown that direct communication with parents about their child’s attendance can significantly improve attendance rates. Rogers and Feller (2018) demonstrated the effectiveness of personalised messaging campaigns that target parents’ misconceptions about their child’s absences. Similarly, Bergman and Chan (2017) found that frequent, low-cost communication with parents, such as letters or text messages, can reduce absenteeism by emphasising the importance of attendance and highlighting specific absences.

4. Fostering a positive school climate

Creating an inclusive and supportive school environment is vital in reducing absenteeism. Thapa et al. (2013) reviewed studies on school climate and found that fostering positive relationships among students, teachers, and staff increases attendance. In addition, Gottfried (2014) reported that students in schools with a positive climate experience better academic and socioemotional outcomes, which can reduce absenteeism over time.

5. Addressing underlying barriers

Addressing specific barriers to attendance, such as transportation issues, mental health challenges, or bullying, has been shown to reduce absenteeism. Kearney and Graczyk (2020) proposed a Response to Intervention model for tackling absenteeism by identifying and addressing these barriers through tailored interventions. Furthermore, a report by Ginsburg, Jordan, and Chang (2014) for Attendance Works emphasised the need to address systemic barriers to improve student attendance effectively.

6. Using data-driven interventions

Schools that proactively use attendance data to identify patterns and intervene early with at-risk students achieve better attendance outcomes. Allensworth and Easton (2007) demonstrated how early identification of absenteeism patterns can prevent students from falling behind academically. Similarly, Balfanz and Byrnes (2012) highlighted the importance of analysing absenteeism trends at the national level to inform local interventions and policy changes.

These strategies, supported by robust evidence, underscore the importance of multifaceted approaches to tackling absenteeism in public schools. Combining family engagement, school climate improvements, targeted interventions, and data-driven practices ensures that the needs of all students are effectively addressed.

thanks Jose, but how to accomplish those tactics and strategies? Positive school climate? gangs and violence?