Attendance still matters
Student attendance in online classes

The standard school model is on the shelf for now because of the pandemic, but one constant is attendance. Students must show up — virtually — to their online classes. Showing up for school is as important as ever, even if the systems have changed. 

Does your virtual school include attendance tracking plans?

Schools pivoted to remote learning in the spring as a response to the coronavirus crisis. Most of the online systems that launched were not perfect — far from it. They were generally stop-gap measures as a response to an emergency. Since that time, districts had the opportunity to plan a whole new system and incorporate lessons learned from spring trials. 

Now, several months into the new school year, additional adjustments may be needed. A key question is how to track attendance. Does your online program include a clear attendance plan? Do your students and parents understand the rules and processes for tracking student absenteeism?

Tracking attendance is essential for student success

By now, students and parents understand that online school is still school. While they may adjust their expectations, they should be able to feel confident that students are following an appropriate instructional plan to help them progress toward learning goals. School is in session, and it is important that the messaging and the systems support academic progress. 

Minimizing learning loss and helping support students emotionally during this stressful time are primary goals of the new virtual education programs. Other concerns are to help at-risk student populations. How do districts continue to meet the nutritional needs of students who are eligible for the free- and reduced meal program? How can teachers and other mandatory reporters spot and report possible abuse or neglect? 

If students are not in class, these issues may go unnoticed. The district plan should include input from all key staff who can provide input into the range of student needs that may affect student success, including tracking absenteeism — even if the district has received a federal or state waiver to exclude absenteeism from accountability reports. 

Some students will struggle more than others. Missing class may widen the achievement gap and make it harder to recover the lost time when school resumes in person. It is a serious problem: 
•	Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. 
•	Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or will be held back. It is especially challenging to teach reading online. Every day counts. 
•	By sixth grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Communicating the attendance requirements of the distance learning plan

Any new program or initiative needs a well-written communication plan. It must include purpose, audience(s), resources, timeline and opportunities to revise it based on post-launch evaluation. 

Be sure to include attendance requirements in the communications plan for the pandemic education plan. First, ensure that expectations for attendance are clear. Do students know the schedule and whether remote attendance is mandatory or optional? How do teachers note individual student attendance? How are absences communicated to parents? How do students get technical support if they struggle to connect within the remote system? 

Are the answers to these questions easy to find on school and district websites? Have they also been shared several times through various channels with parents? Do staff know the answers to these questions when they are contacted by parents? 

It is easy for school staff, who are in the midst of this intense and prolonged planning process, to assume that parents are as attuned to the details of this work as they are. This is always a mistaken assumption and can increase frustration among staff and parents alike. When parents ask questions, try to avoid saying that they should have received this information. It isn’t helpful, and you can assume they don’t have that information if they are asking those questions. 

Tips to increase your virtual attendance

Define how you measure attendance. Students should understand how their presence in class is recorded. Flexibility is a necessity now. The variety of remote programs requires clarity about how each class records attendance. 

Create a positive environment. Remote classrooms should be managed exceedingly well, and teachers should understand the technology completely so they can turn off student microphones and videos to maintain decorum. If teachers run late and students have a free-for-all forum, they may target or bully students while they wait. Students who are bullied are likely to have a higher absentee rate. All students should feel welcome and safe, and classes should not provide opportunities for cyberbullying. 

Form cross-departmental teams to conduct a whole child/family approach to learning. Attendance efforts will be more effective if students and families feel connected to the school. Relationships are more important than ever because of the isolation of prolonged social distancing. Communicate frequently with parents. 

Resources

Maintaining good attendance during this uncertain time is challenging. Many districts were making good progress toward their chronic absenteeism goals. The following resources offer useful tips to continue improving. 

Learning Continuity Attendance Plan Template
California Department of Education: https://bit.ly/34rUP3d

Coronavirus: Resources for Educators
Attendance Works: www.attendanceworks.org/coronavirus-resources-for-educators

Attendance Playbook: Smart Solutions for Reducing Chronic Absenteeism in the Covid Era
Future Ed: www.future-ed.org/attendance-playbook

Contributed by Marcia Latta, communications consultant