California high school implements collaborative strategy to improve attendance

Heading a team of educators at the Reedley High School in California, John Ahlin understands the importance of a collaborative approach to oversee various aspects of the school, including attendance, learning, teaching, management, and culture.

This teamwork model has led to a commendable chronic absenteeism rate of 5.6% at Reedley High, significantly lower than the national rate of 29.7% in 2022, as reported by Attendance Works.

Analysis by FutureEd from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy indicates that many states have made progress in reducing chronic absenteeism rates. Michigan, for instance, achieved a notable decline of 7.7 percentage points to reach 30.8%, though it still exceeded its 2018 rate of 20%.

Despite a slight uptick in student attendance nationally in 2023, experts underscore the detrimental impact of high absenteeism on student engagement and academic performance.

There’s a collective push by key organizations to halve chronic absenteeism in five years, emphasizing the importance of schools fostering strong relationships with students, families, and staff consistently, as stated by Hedy Chang of Attendance Works.

Chang stresses the need for schools to create conducive learning environments that prioritize physical and emotional well-being, safety, a sense of belonging, academic rigor, and student engagement, underscoring the crucial role of positive student-adult connections.

“It’s essential for the entire school community to build and nurture these relationships,” Chang added.

Investing in relationships

Reedley High employs teams led by principals, each focusing on different objectives but working in harmony to enhance student achievement, engagement, and attendance levels, facilitated by weekly coordination meetings.

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