Regular attendance is crucial to each child’s academic achievement and socio-emotional development. Research shows how attendance is a predictor of success in so many ways -– academically, socially, and with positive mental and behavioral health. On the other hand, missing school frequently, even in the early grades, correlates with behavioral health issues and leads to substantial gaps in learning over time.

Chronic absenteeism is the term for whenever a student misses 10% -- 15 or more -- school days throughout the year. In the past several years, rates of chronic absenteeism have sharply trended upward. In Santa Cruz County, for example, the rate of chronic absenteeism more than doubled from 10.4% in the 2018-19 school year to 27% in 2021-22. The trend was almost identical statewide, with chronic absenteeism increasing from 12.1% to 30% over the same period.

The resources found here include ready-made materials that administrators, staff, teachers, and community partners can use for outreach to families and provides tools that schools can use to assess their own attendance practices and guide their planning. Families will also find support in tracking their child’s attendance, support for anxiety-related attendance challenges and tips for making sure their child gets to school every day, ready to learn.

Working together, families and schools can ensure that every child is empowered to reach their full potential.