7 Helpful Ways to Use Data to Combat Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism — commonly defined as students missing 10% or more of the school year (about 18 school days) — is still a significant challenge for K-12 schools. Despite the implementation of data-driven interventions, attendance rates have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

While K-12 attendance improvement has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing challenges related to remote learning and attendance have influenced absenteeism data trends. The ability for students to access and submit work online has changed the dynamic between attendance and academic performance, as students can miss school without necessarily falling behind in class. Other challenges come into play, such as physical health, mental health, transportation, and emotional issues — just to name a few.

Chronic absenteeism can impose serious implications on students’ overall success and place additional demands on student services. Furthermore, since the average daily attendance (ADA) directly impacts school funding, adopting attendance-improvement strategies becomes a financial necessity.

So, how can CIOs and district leaders, including superintendents, principals, and counselors, ensure that absenteeism doesn’t become the new normal? The answer lies in leveraging integrated data systems to drive strategic, personalized interventions that bring students back to the classroom and keep them there.

The reason for chronic absenteeism is driven by a mix of factors including:

• Student disengagement: Some students lack the motivation to attend school, partly attributed to the rise of online learning options.
• Health challenges: Injury, illness or disability are common reasons for students missing school.
• Mental health and emotional issues: Anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns can keep students out of class.
• Family and access barriers: Transportation issues, unstable housing and language barriers all contribute to missing school.
• Lack of family engagement or support: When families are not engaged with their children’s learning and school activities or face challenges themselves, students are more likely to be absent.

While districts are responding with a combination of data-driven interventions, family outreach and support services, the problem remains persistent and complex. Here are a few actionable strategies for IT leaders to drive targeted interventions so they can combat chronic absenteeism and help students succeed.

1. Build Family Trust Through Transparent Communication

The biggest obstacle to reducing chronic student absenteeism isn’t a lack of data, it’s a lack of family buy-in. Some parents often don’t realize the negative impact of their child not attending school until it’s too late. These consequences of absenteeism include diminished social-emotional wellness (including lack of connection), underdeveloped life skills and reduced future employability. Additionally, workplace success is closely linked to essential life skills learned through school attendance.

District leaders must prioritize communication strategies that make the impact of absenteeism visible to families. Consider real-time student attendance notifications through platforms such as ParentSquare to deliver real-time absence alerts, prompting immediate parental engagement and intervention.

2. Centralize Student Data to Enable Early Intervention

To move from reactive to proactive, districts need unified data systems that consolidate student attendance, academic performance and student support indicators. Districts that inventory their stack, break down data silos and consolidate overlapping apps gain visibility, reduce cost and move faster on student attendance use cases. Platforms such as Infinite Campus, Aries and Google Classroom can serve as a single source of truth when used consistently across schools.

By integrating flags such as GPA, socioeconomic status, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and transportation needs, IT leaders can identify at-risk students early and tailor interventions accordingly. This “single source of truth” empowers educators to act on insights, not just information.

3. Use Engagement Data to Drive Attendance Strategy

Student engagement is a powerful predictor of attendance. For example, student participation in clubs and sports in middle school and high school can give students a sense of belonging. Data on participation in these activities can reveal which students feel connected to their school community and which do not. Districts should analyze this data and poll students to identify new club interests, ensuring extracurricular offerings reflect student needs and preferences.

CDW supports districts in expanding after-school programs by providing technology, curriculum and professional development resources. These programs not only boost engagement but also serve as critical school attendance incentives.

4. Adjust School Calendars Based on Data

IT leaders and school administrators can tap into specialized artificial intelligence (AI) solutions like agentic AI that use data analysis to monitor attendance and adjust school calendars. For example, Google Agentspace, powered by Google Gemini’s advanced reasoning capabilities, can be used to synthesize information and identify insights. This platform allows administrators to access information across different systems, such as cross-referencing school calendar data with attendance records to identify trends.

For example, one school district in California modified its holiday calendar after observing increased student absences following events such as Halloween or the Super Bowl. These dates were designated as “student-free” days of the school year due to consistently low attendance on those occasions.

5. Remove Barriers by Mapping Transportation Needs

Transportation remains a significant barrier, especially for families with complex schedules or limited resources. Districts should consider offering solutions like gas cards, mileage assistance or flexible bus routes to address absenteeism challenges.

Importantly, district leaders can support this by creating channels for families to communicate these barriers. When schools understand the challenges families face, they can offer targeted support, from transportation to food assistance.

6. Safeguard Data and Secure Funding for Long-Term Impact

Data-driven strategies for K-12 schools require robust data governance and compliance. CDW provides the infrastructure to keep student data secure and within district boundaries, supporting best practices in data management.

While CDW does not offer grants directly, we assist districts in identifying and applying for eligible funding opportunities. This support ensures districts can sustain and scale their attendance initiatives.

7. Design Parent Support Networks Using Targeted Data

Districts like those in California are pioneering initiatives such as the Power Parents Network, which provides virtual and in-person resources to help families manage attendance. These networks are most effective when informed by integrated data systems that identify specific barriers for each student.

IT leaders play a crucial role in enabling these networks by ensuring data is accessible, secure and actionable. CDW partners with solutions like Authentica, GoGuardian and Google Workspace to help districts integrate and analyze data and build tailored support systems.

Improving attendance isn’t just about tracking who shows up — it’s about understanding why students don’t. By adopting integrated, secure and strategic data systems, CIOs and district leaders can transform attendance from a compliance metric into a catalyst for student success.

As a leading K-12 educational technology solutions provider, CDW Education understands the complexity of chronic absenteeism and the critical role technology plays in solving it. From unified data platforms and real-time parent engagement tools to secure infrastructure and grant support, our solutions are designed to help districts reduce absenteeism in schools. We partner with leading providers to deliver actionable insights and scalable interventions tailored to your district’s needs.

The time to act is now. Student absenteeism cannot be the new normal. Let CDW help you move the needle and be your strategic ally in building a data-driven attendance strategy that works for your school or district.