October 2024: School Administrator
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Editor's Note
Grasping for Attendance Plans
As a member of the AASA team that evaluated the 845 proposals from presenters for next March’s National Conference on Education, I wasn’t surprised by the number that addressed the subject of chronic absenteeism among students.
At least several dozen conference submissions touched on the subject. One promised “tried and true techniques” based on human-centered improvement science. Another was titled “Health Equity and Absenteeism in Schools: The Transformative Role of School-Based Healthcare.” Other solutions touted structured home visits and “multi-modal transportation plans.” And given the escalating attention to artificial intelligence, who could be surprised to see one proposed talk titled “AI-Powered Superintendent Solutions.”
This month’s issue of our magazine lends ideas to the confounding issue of how to ensure students attend school every day. Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works, shares evidence-based approaches of several school district partners. Fred Williams, superintendent in Dublin, Ga., discusses his “whole-child approach.” The Learning Policy Institute details the experience of a unique rural collaborative among schools in California addressing attendance.
Clearly, school leaders are grasping for answers. We’ve offered a few ideas and resources worth considering.
Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
703-875-0745
jgoldman@aasa.org
@JPGoldman
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