The SEAC created virtual Learning Series to provide topical, intensive technical assistance through multi-session series for practitioners that present research, practices, and applications related to reducing chronic absenteeism and improving student engagement.
Current Activities
The SEAC year-long Building Systemic Supports for Better Attendance Learning Series includes series focused on the following topics:
- Learning Series 1. Proactive Schoolwide Strategies for Supporting Attendance will explore strategies to establish asset-based common language and messaging around attendance; how to support local educational agencies (LEAs) with the implementation of strategies to assess school climate around attendance and engagement throughout the year; and consider how State educational agencies (SEAs) can support LEAs with the implementation of proactive schoolwide attendance strategies.
- Learning Series 2: Chronic Absenteeism in Early Grades: A Focus on Kindergarten will explore the root causes of chronic absenteeism among PK — 5 students; learn about promising practices from other states and districts; consider data-informed strategies to better target attendance supports to different groups of students; and develop next steps to apply the lessons learned and materials from the series.
- Learning Series 3: Serving Historically Marginalized Populations will focus on helping participants understand the root causes of chronic absenteeism in different historically marginalized student populations; build awareness of promising practices that address the needs of diverse students; and highlight the importance of student and family engagement to support attendance.
- Learning Series 4: How SEAs can use student and family engagement strategies to Address Chronic Absenteeism will focus on improving awareness of different student and family engagement strategies and explore how innovative approaches to student and family engagement can help provide additional attendance supports to traditional marginalized student populations.
To learn more about Learning Series activities, including how to participate, contact the SEAC via email at: seacenter@insightpolicyresearch.com
Previous Activities
Past Learning Series focused on building better systemic supports for better attendance through multitiered systems of supports (MTSS) at local and state levels, engaging youth and families in authentic ways, applying restorative approaches for truancy prevention, and reengaging families and students for the 2021-23 school year — a critical time in the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023
The SEAC is facilitating Learning Series focused on the following topics:
- Learning Series 1. Finding Missing Students: Becoming Data Detectives explored the current landscape of student attendance trends and identified data-driven strategies in efforts to account for missing students. The series focused on one strategy, root cause analysis, and aligning efforts to find and re-engage missing students that align with identified root in participants' states. Participants from 29 states including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington attended at least 1 session of this series.
- Learning Series 2 and 3. State Accountability Measures: Mapping State Accountability Systems centered on chronic absenteeism in state accountability systems for two cohorts. The SEAC invited teams from 13 states, including Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, New York North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Virginia to assess and strengthen their state accountability systems related to attendance and chronic absenteeism. Subject matter experts and participants discussed challenges, shared promising practices, and raised questions for other state teams related to indicators, data systems, infrastructure, programs, and supports.
- Learning Series 4. Recognizing Underserved Populations: Using Evidence Based Practices to Support Attendance and Engagement explored strategies to support attendance and engagement for underserved populations, including unhoused youth/youth experiencing housing instability, multi-lingual learners, students with disabilities, indigenous youth, and highly mobile youth. Three virtual meetings focused on selecting, implementing, assessing, and monitoring evidence-based resources for specific student groups. Subject matter experts and participants from 32 states showcased promising strategies they are implementing to support attendance and engagement. Participating states included Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and US Virgin Islands.
- Learning Series 5. Overcoming Data Challenges to Address Chronic Absenteeism will explore strategies to maximize state data systems related to attendance, highlighting different definitions, policies, collection, management, analysis, and communication. State and district participants will share examples of effective and data-driven strategies for the collection and use of chronic absenteeism data to improve attendance and discuss how to strengthen collaboration with local educational agencies (LEAs) to address data needs and common data challenges. Learning Series 5 is scheduled from August 30, 2023 — September 13, 2023
2022
In 2022, the SEAC hosted three Learning Series, all focused on building systemic supports for better attendance:
- Learning Series 1. Integrating an Attendance Multitiered System of Supports into State MTSS Frameworks opened with prevention as a foundation. Several states provided examples of how they shifted their policies focusing on unexcused absences and truancy protocols to a holistic, student- and family-centered multitiered approach to student absenteeism. This learning series provided opportunities for participants to discuss and apply lessons learned about integrating attendance into MTSS. SEA and LEA staff from 14 states, plus Bureau of Indian Education representatives attended live sessions, and interested parties can of the series. Participants from Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, Wyoming, and the Bureau of Indian Education attended at least one session of this series.
- Learning Series 2. Moving Towards Authentic Youth and Family Engagement started with an overview and exploration of authentic youth and family engagement in relationship to attendance. Participants piloted tools to assess current practices and policies and created targeted action plan. Participants from 13 states and territories, including Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, Wyoming, and S. Virgin Islands, plus representatives from the Bureau of Indian Education, Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, and Region 4 Comprehensive Center attended at least one session of this series.
- Learning Series 3. Addressing Truancy Using Restorative, Multitiered Approaches overviewed truancy policy and practice nationally, provided examples from California and South Carolina, and guided participants to identify gaps or improvements in their policies and practices to create an action plan. Presenters examined disproportionalities in truancy data and enforcement to increase motivation among participants to explore alternatives to punitive approaches to truancy, including integrating restorative practice into existing multitiered supports. Participants from 18 states and territories, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands attended at least one session.
2021
In 2021, the SEAC facilitated a Learning Series on Student and Family Reengagement in which SEAs and partners focused on strategies for reengaging students and families during the 2021-22 school year. This Learning Series provided opportunities to share emerging promising practices for reengaging students from peers, elevated practices for student reengagement, and created a shared framework to support the implementation of reengagement strategies.