Districts are working hard to reduce absenteeism. And while attendance has improved since its pandemic peak, chronic absence remains elevated.
National rates climbed from about 15% before COVID-19 to more than 28% in 2022 and remained around 23% to 24% in 2024-25. Research also shows that school engagement and climate are closely connected to attendance, particularly for middle and high school students. Together, these trends suggest that reducing absenteeism requires more than compliance-based outreach.
Students are more likely to attend when they feel connected, supported, and engaged in school. Just as importantly, they are more likely to show up when they understand why their learning matters. When students can connect classroom experiences to their interests, goals, and future possibilities, school becomes more than a place they “have to be” and instead becomes a place they want to be. This is especially true for older students, who are increasingly asking themselves : Is school worth my struggle today?
This idea was front and center during our recent webinar, “Cracking the Code: Making School Meaningful to Improve Attendance,” featuring experts from Attendance Works and Roadtrip Nation. A recurring theme throughout the conversation was that attendance is often a reflection of student engagement. When school feels relevant, students are more likely to see value in showing up, participating, and persisting through challenges.
Based on part of that conversation, here are actions schools can take to address absenteeism by making school more meaningful for students.
Four ways to make school more meaningful
1) Treat absenteeism as a signal to understand, not a behavior to punish
Many districts risk disengaging families by leading attendance outreach with warning letters, truancy language, and consequences that imply students and families are choosing absence. For families facing unreliable transportation, health concerns, anxiety, housing instability, or a student who feels disconnected from school, punishment does little to address the underlying issue and can reinforce the perception that the district does not understand their challenges.
As Attendance Works’ Lorri Hobson asks, “Which (attendance barrier) would you punish?”
Instead, treat absenteeism as a signal to understand, not a behavior to punish. Attendance Works encourages districts to view absences through a broader lens, recognizing that students may be facing external barriers, struggling with mental health, feeling disconnected from peers, or questioning the relevance of school. Effective interventions start by seeking to understand the root cause of absences, using supportive, positive messaging and creating conditions that make attending school feel worthwhile.
2) Clearly define how staff can help
Make sure everyone in the building knows what chronic absenteeism is and specific actions to take to address it. By everyone, we mean everyone: teachers, counselors, cafeteria staff, custodians, bus drivers, coaches, front office. Keep it simple and actionable so staff can build up the habit.
The webinar highlights that student connectedness is one of the most important drivers of attendance. Every adult in a school has an opportunity to help students feel seen, valued, and supported. Small moments of connection, repeated consistently, can strengthen a student’s sense of belonging and increase the likelihood that they keep showing up.
3) See something, say something
The simplest action districts can take immediately is to remind staff to: Notice who is there, who isn’t, and say something like: “Glad you made it. We missed you yesterday. I noticed you weren’t here.”
Simple touch points like this mean a lot to students and set a foundation for connection for the rest of the school year.
4) Connect attendance to students’ futures
Students are more likely to engage in learning when they can see where it leads. That’s why schools should intentionally help students explore their interests and connect them to future opportunities.
Resources like Roadtrip Nation’s Virtual Roadtrip introduce students to real people with diverse career paths, helping them understand how today’s learning can support tomorrow’s goals. Rather than focusing only on the “how” of education, schools should also help students understand the “why.” When students can answer the question, “How does this connect to my future?”, they are often more motivated to participate, persist, and attend regularly.
The impact of relevance
Attendance is an early signal of whether students feel connected to school, supported by adults, and able to see a reason to keep showing up. But attendance itself is not the goal. Engagement is the engine that drives attendance.
Students need positive conditions for learning, including safety, belonging, meaningful academic experiences, and support when they fall behind. When those conditions exist, students are more likely to feel that school is worth their time and effort. When they don’t, attendance interventions alone may have limited impact.
Roadtrip Nation shares several outcomes that illustrate the power of relevance and future-focused learning:
- 61% of students who use its resources discovered career paths they had not previously considered
- Students also report a 19% increase in believing what they learned in school would matter for their future
The organization also saw increases in students’ optimism about their future, highlighting the connection between hope, purpose, and engagement. These findings reinforce an important idea: when students see a meaningful connection between what they’re learning today and who they hope to become tomorrow, school feels more relevant. And when school feels relevant, students are more likely to attend.
“The power you have is for the student who doesn’t have a voice… Everyone matters, and everyone can connect the student to their future.”
Lorri Hobson
Director of Product Development, Attendance Works
Improving attendance starts with making school feel meaningful. That means replacing punishment with curiosity, helping every student feel known by at least one caring adult, creating engaging learning experiences, and giving students concrete ways to connect their interests and aspirations to what comes next.
“The power you have is for the student who doesn’t have a voice,” says Lorri Hobson, Director of Product Development at Attendance Works. “How are you using your ability to influence change? How are you using the space that you have within the school setting to foster and nurture a caring relationship with the students? Everyone matters, and everyone can connect the student to their future.”
Attendance may be the measure, but engagement, belonging, relevance, and hope are what ultimately move students forward.
Watch the Attendance Webinar
Get even more insights from Attendance Works, Roadtrip Nation, and PowerSchool in the full webinar as we explore how student engagement and attendance intersect.
