Families & the Community Report Roundup

Research Report: Absenteeism

By Sarah D. Sparks — February 14, 2017 1 min read
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A little effort can go a long way to reducing student absenteeism, finds a federal study: Even a single postcard can get students back to school.

Researchers from the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic randomly sent parents in Philadelphia one of two attendance messages on a postcard; one generally encouraged parents to improve their student’s attendance, while the other added specific details about each student’s attendance history. Both postcards were equally effective, boosting student attendance in grades 1-8 and 9-12 by 2.4 percent, compared with students whose parents did not receive the messages.

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A version of this article appeared in the February 15, 2017 edition of Education Week as Absenteeism

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