5 Schoolwide Strategies That Make a Real Difference
Picture a student who is struggling at your school. For most educators, it’s not difficult to come up with the name or face of a struggling student. In fact, the challenge might be to name just one. Unfortunately, a common issue with such students is absenteeism. The very students that benefit most from consistent instruction are often the ones missing the most school days.
While schools cannot control every factor that contributes to poor attendance, there are creative ways to improve attendance that have a positive influence on student engagement, motivation, and connection to school.
5 Ways to Improve School Attendance Schoolwide
Working to change your school’s absentee rate is a process, and it won’t happen overnight. Improving attendance rates requires consistent effort throughout the entire school year. Still, there are things you can do to get students to attend school regularly and make it a place they want to be:
1. Create Positive School Culture
Have you ever walked into a school with an awesome school culture? Positive interactions between staff and students, encouraging announcements, and celebratory artwork may surround you. This type of positive school culture helps students feel safe, valued, and protected.
If the goal is to motivate students and help them develop good attendance habits, you must prioritize building a welcoming school environment. From elementary school through high school, students are more likely to consistently show up when they feel a sense of belonging.
2. Establish School-Wide Attendance Expectations
If attendance is a component of positive behavior and important to your school, state that explicitly. Schools that spell out important schoolwide expectations establish clarity of vision for parents and students alike.
When schools explain why regular attendance matters, and how every single school day supports learning, students are more likely to understand their role in the larger school community. Grounding expectations in social skills helps students internalize responsibility rather than viewing attendance as a rule to avoid breaking.
3. Promote Teacher-Student Relationships
Psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that among humans’ most basic of needs is to feel safe and have a sense of belonging. Within the school environment, staff members play a critical role in meeting those needs for students, from teachers and counselors to administrators and front office staff.
In fact, chronically absent students often identify weak relationships, or a complete lack thereof, with adults at school as a key factor in missing class. It doesn’t take much to change this. Simply acknowledging and encouraging students goes a long way. Statements like, “I’m happy you’re here today,” or “I’m so glad to see you,” can help a student feel seen and validated.
This is particularly important with older groups, like middle school and high school students, where disengagement tends to be highest and attendance begins to decline.
4. Use Data to Support, Not Punish
Data-driven decision making is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of the education system. When working to reduce chronic absenteeism, schools must look at data beyond just basic attendance totals.
Attendance data can reveal trends across certain school days or time of year and uncover patterns among specific student groups. Instead of a sole focus on negative behaviors, use these insights to acknowledge progress, celebrate success, recognize improvement, and intervene early.
A shift from punitive measures to positive encouragement helps re-frame expectations, reset mindsets for staff and students, and supports long-term improvement in attendance rates.
5. Involve Families
Sometimes, the biggest challenge schools face is family engagement and relationships. However, attendance tends to improve when schools view families as partners rather than obstacles.
Some parents or caregivers may share negative feelings towards school based on what they have experienced themselves. Schools can help rebuild trust through consistent and positive communication.
Strategies include:
- Family information nights
- Newsletters and attendance updates
- Positive phone calls home
- Clear messaging about how attendance impacts learning
When both parents and students understand the direct connection between attendance and long-term success, they are more likely to make showing up a priority.
One of the biggest challenges schools face is parents who don’t value education and academic achievement in general. These parents might not have had a positive experience when they were in school. Your school can change that by working toward improved parent-teacher communication. Begin that positive experience with simple steps like hosting information nights, producing newsletters, and conducting parent-teacher interviews. And don’t underestimate the power of the occasional positive phone call home. These actions will help with building trust and reinforce the link between consistent attendance and students’ subsequent health, wealth, and happiness.
Why School Attendance Matters
Chronic absenteeism affects your school’s climate, staff morale, and overall student achievement. Chronically absent students, typically identified by a 10% rate of missed school days, are more likely to struggle academically and are at a higher risk of complete disengagement.
Many factors contribute to chronic absenteeism, and they vary by state, district, and even school buildings. These factors often include, but aren’t limited to:
- Poverty and housing insecurity
- Physical or mental health challenges
- Transportation barriers
- Family responsibilities
- Physical or learning disabilities
Across the nation, the rate of chronic absenteeism in the 2023-24 school year was roughly 22% of students, making this a widespread concern.
Attendance Across Grade Levels
Attendance looks different across grade levels for various reasons. Schools that tailor attendance strategies to the developmental needs of their students are better positioned to improve attendance and support students in the long-term.
- Elementary school attendance has a heavy reliance on family routines and communication with the school.
- Attendance patterns begin to shift in middle school as students navigate increasing academic and extracurricular demands, social pressures, and greater independence; at this stage, attendance is more about engagement and less about routine.
- In high school, attendance is tied closely to motivation, staff and peer relationships, and student agency.
Recognition of these differences allows schools to intervene early and strengthen students’ relationships with learning. Building consistent habits is what will improve student outcomes and set them up for success in adulthood.
Every School Counts
Unfortunately, there are far too many barriers to attendance than any school can control. However, they do have the power to influence how welcomed, supported, and motivated their students feel.
By focusing on creative ways to improve attendance, you can create a positive school climate where students want to show up, even on the most difficult days. School can, and should, become a place of stability and support for every student that walks through the doors.
Every school day matters, and every effort to improve attendance in an investment into the long-term success of your students.
PBIS Rewards is your partner on this journey. We’re helping schools across the nation improve their culture with our digital PBIS management platform and the results speak for themselves! See how George Washington High School improved attendance rates and academic performance with PBIS Rewards.