Michael Gottfried discusses efforts to reduce absenteeism at White House roundtable

Penn GSE Professor Michael Gottfried, a leading expert on chronic absenteeism, recently collaborated with federal officials, education scholars, and nonprofit leaders on solutions to get more students back in the classroom at the White House. 

Gottfried explained that students who miss more than 10 percent of school are considered chronically absent. However, the problem is much more distressing: Many students miss more than 50 percent or 60 percent of classes, hindering their academic, social, and emotional development.

To identify barriers and potential solutions, Gottfried participated in a roundtable discussion in November led by former White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and former Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten. The gathering culminated two years of research and discussions on the issue.

Unfortunately, Gottfried said there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to reducing chronic absences. Getting more kids to the classroom requires cross-sector collaboration between schools, community organizations, government agencies, and caregivers.“There is no single institution that can solve this issue or a single way to reduce it,” said Gottfried. “This is a multi-institutional investment.”

As part of his research, Gottfried examines efforts to reduce absenteeism in various communities and a meta-analysis of studies and articles on the topic. He is currently exploring rural absenteeism, which he says has been overlooked.

As part of the committee’s work, Gottfried and scholars from five universities co-authored a new resource, “Before the Bell: Obstacles Preventing Children From Attending School,” designed to help school officials and government officials identify the barriers to attendance and recommend cross-agency solutions.

The resource outlines nine barriers to reducing absenteeism: housing instability, family logistics, income instability, food insecurity, transportation, health, neighborhoods and networks, disengagement, and crises. The authors detail how each factor contributes to absenteeism and ideas to reduce those barriers.

For example, students who move frequently or are homeless are more likely to be chronically absent. If school officials closely monitor students suffering from housing instability, they can share resources, such as reliable housing programs, to help with attendance. In addition, the experts recommend that school administrators and local housing authorities use their data to identify at-risk students and support them in attendance and housing.

Across the country, some individual efforts have successfully improved attendance, such as keeping classmates together for several years or assigning students mentors from similar backgrounds. Some school districts have experimented with individual programs, such as text-based communication with caregivers, and incentives for students with strong attendance, such as pizza parties or more free time. 

While these efforts could improve attendance among students who miss some classes, Gottfried said students with the highest absences require more intensive intervention from the public and private sectors. Additionally, Gottfried said what works in one community may not translate to others.

Instead, he said local officials, school administrators, and community leaders should join forces to find the best solution for their students. For instance, students with transportation obstacles in urban districts may be eligible for free public transportation, easing their path to school. However, that program wouldn’t apply to rural areas without multiple transportation options. “If you miss the school bus, there’s no alternative,” Gottfried said.

While full-scale solutions remain elusive, Gottfried said the foster system and children with disabilities help illustrate how multiple agencies can collaborate and support students' attendance. 

For instance, he noted when children are in foster care, they have their guardians, social workers, teachers, and school administrators involved. That creates a robust support system and opportunities for stakeholders to communicate and work together.

Similarly, students with disabilities work with caseworkers, service providers, doctors, and educators, creating more touchpoints and interventions.

As stakeholders work to resolve chronic absenteeism, Gottfried said the roundtable’s new resource can help stakeholders identify barriers, create partnerships, and access the latest research. With increased awareness and multipronged collaboration, Gottfried said more students can return to the classroom. Gottfried emphasized that reducing chronic absenteeism is a bipartisan priority.

“We need solid research, reliable data, and actionable plans,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all agree — kids can’t keep missing school at the rates we’ve seen in recent years.”