Student Absenteeism News in Brief

White House Initiative to Target Absenteeism

By Evie Blad — October 13, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Obama administration last week launched an initiative aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism in public schools.

The effort, Every Student, Every Day, will bring together officials from the White House and the U.S. departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice.

Among its features will be the first-ever school-level data on all students who missed at least 15 days of school during the 2013-14 school year. The information will come from the latest Civil Rights Data Collection, set to be released in the spring, and a national summit will follow the release of the data.

A version of this article appeared in the October 14, 2015 edition of Education Week as White House Initiative to Target Absenteeism

Events

Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Making AI Work in Schools: From Experimentation to Purposeful Practice
AI use is expanding in schools. Learn how district leaders can move from experimentation to coordinated, systemwide impact.
Content provided by Frontline Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being & Movement Webinar
Building Resilient Students: Leadership Beyond the Classroom
How can schools build resilient, confident students? Join education leaders to explore new strategies for leadership and well-being.
Content provided by IMG Academy

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Absenteeism Schools Made Steady Progress Boosting Attendance With This Strategy Change
The timing and tenor of communication with families matter, according to a new analysis.
5 min read
Scenes from a visit to Morrisville Middle/Senior High School in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025.
Backpacks at a middle/senior high school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. A new analysis explores the progress of schools in fighting chronic absenteeism when they communicated early with families of students at risk of becoming chronically absent.
Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
Student Absenteeism What Happens When a Shorter School Calendar Meets Chronic Absenteeism?
Short academic years hinder efforts to catch up students, study finds.
4 min read
Wall clock and calendar with the number of days and clock close up.
iStock/Getty
Student Absenteeism Q&A Solving Chronic Absenteeism Isn't 'One-Size-Fits-All,' This Leader Says
Proactive, sensitive communication with families can make a big difference.
7 min read
Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac walks around the exhibition hall of the National Conference on Education in Nashville, on Feb. 12, 2026. Reljac is the superintendent for Fox Chapel Area School District in Pennsylvania.
Mary Catherine Reljac walks around the exhibition hall of the National Conference on Education in Nashville on Feb. 12, 2026. Reljac, the superintendent for Fox Chapel Area school district in Pennsylvania, is working to combat chronic absenteeism through data analysis and tailored student support.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Absenteeism Opinion Progress on Absenteeism Is Stalling. What Can We Do About It?
Recent attendance trends indicate that something fundamental about schooling has changed.
Nat Malkus
5 min read
2 students stand before a school in the distance.
Getty + Education Week