Schools have more student data than ever before. Attendance rates, grades, behavior referrals, assessment results, and credit accumulation can all tell us something about how a student is doing. But identifying a problem is not the same as solving it. In the final conversation of our attendance series, longtime educator and Michigan Department of Education EWIMS lead Bersheril Bailey shared a story that illustrates the difference. As a high school administrator, Bailey once h

Chronic absenteeism is one of the most persistent challenges facing schools. When attendance numbers remain stubbornly high, it can be tempting to look immediately toward the school: What are teachers doing? What interventions are in place? Is the principal paying enough attention? But the research of Dr. Jeremy Singer offers a more complicated—and perhaps more hopeful—way of understanding the problem. Singer describes absenteeism as an ecological problem. Students and famili

When schools talk about attendance, the conversation can quickly become centered on numbers: days absent, students chronically absent, or percentages that need to improve. But educator and community organizer Jekeia Murphy offers a different starting point. Attendance may be an issue for schools, but solving it requires understanding the relationships, experiences, and communities surrounding students. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the conversation. Her experience spa