State Goal

Reduce the number of chronically absent students statewide by 10%. State of Oregon's Chronic Absenteeism Plan

Regional Goal

Reduce the number of chronically absent students by 15%. 

The "Nudge" Letter: A research-based approach to reducing chronic absenteeism focused on behavior change theory. 

• Guidance
• Nudge Letters
• Article and research review
• Seattle time article

The Report is available in the Oregon Data Suite Toolkit by selecting the "Reports" tab after you log in, then the "Pilot/Test" folder from the list of folders on the left column.  

For those schools/districts looking for a template outside of what ODS provides, you are welcome to use one of the templates below.  

• Fall Nudge Letter (English) (Spanish)
• Mid-Year Nudge Letter (English) (Spanish) 

Post Cards: Collection of Post Cards to encourage and inform

Attendance Works

• Building public awareness and political will about the need to address chronic absence. This includes extensive media outreach as well as working with key national organizations to spread the word about why this issue matters and explore the role federal government can play. It also includes explaining the critical difference between chronic absence and truancy.

• Fostering state campaigns and partnerships by developing coalitions to advance state and local policies that promote tracking attendance for individual students and reporting on chronic absence to ensure schools, especially if they are low-performing, will intervene to improve student attendance.

• Encouraging local practice by providing technical assistance and tools to help communities, schools and school districts monitor and work together to address chronic absence. This includes creating peer-learning networks and using our website to provide access to a variety of free tools and resources to over 275,000 visitors each year.

Making the Case: Communicating the message with various groups

Site CA Best Practices Inventory Self-Assessment  

Oregon Data Suite

Activities to Support Regular Attendance 

Oregon High School Success (HSS)

High School Success is a fund initiated by ballot Measure 98 in November 2016. The measure passed with 65% voter support, and allowed the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to disperse $170 million total, per biennium, among districts and charter schools that serve students in grade 9 through grade 12. The spirit of the measure was to provide funding to establish or expand programs in three specific areas:

• Dropout Prevention
• Career & Technical Education
• College Level Education Opportunities

Additionally, it is important to recognize that written inside the measure is how ODE is to evaluate the program. The intent of High School Success is to:

• Improve student progress toward graduation beginning with grade 9
• Increase the graduation rates of high schools
• Improve high school graduates’ readiness for college and career

In order to meet the high expectations of the measure, certain eligibility requirements were established. The eligibility requirements are:

• Teacher Collaboration Time around Data
• Practices to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism
• Equitable Assignment to Advanced Courses
• Systems Ensuring On-time Graduation
• Partnerships

Research suggests that having these structures in place will aid in increasing graduation rates, and ensuring high school graduates are ready for their next step. Furthermore, providing time for teachers to look at specific student data, and use that data to inform decisions, will increase the chances that a student has to be on-track to graduate in four years by the end of grade 9. All areas of eligibility must be fully in place by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. 

Guidance for Creating Your CA reduction plan 

• Sample Interventions and Monitor Data
• Empathy Interview for Attendance Coach

Pledge to Attend: Pilot Project Data Review - North Santiam School District

• 20 Day Attendance Tracker (We can customize it! Send us your school or district logo)
• Parent Post Card for Pledges
• Spreadsheet for Tracking Participant Attendance for Attendance Teams 
• Post Pledge Survey (Doc)

Community of Practice Resources

• HB 4002 (CA Absenteeism Reduction) Plan Rubric
• January Presentation
• November Presentation
• October Presentation

Resources When Seeking Community Support

• Discussion points when requesting support from Health Care Agencies

Everyday 24J (Salem-Keizer)

• Salem Keizer school district is approaching chronic absenteeism through their "Everyday 24j" campaign.  District and school leaders are partnering with city programs and businesses to raise awareness about the cost of missing too much school.   

Tribal Attendance Pilot Project (TAPP)

• The Oregon legislature set aside $1.55 million for the 2017-19 biennium to operate TAPP projects to reduce chronic absenteeism of native students in nine preselected Oregon school districts. TAPP specifically will enable participating districts to receive up to $155,000 for their family advocate position which has deep local connections to create school-wide initiatives to reduce chronic absenteeism. 

Stand for Children