School attendance across the country is a pressing concern. Post-pandemic absenteeism rates are a primary contributor: Between 2018 and 2022, chronic absences climbed by a troubling 91%, translating into an additional 6.5 million students regularly missing school and crucial instruction.
Presented by Dr. Sarah Brown, MTSS Consultant and Author, System Impact Consulting; Laura Glaub, Lead Attendance Social Worker, Madison Metropolitan School District (WI); and Kellie Kilde, MTSS Advisor, Renaissance
Chronic absenteeism rates soared as high as 28 percent nationwide during the 2022-2023 school year and 31 percent in Ohio alone. School and district leaders in the edLeader Panel “Roll Call! Addressing the Roots of Absenteeism with MTSS” shared how one Buckeye State school bucks national trends using an innovative approach that has decreased absenteeism rates well below federal and state averages.
Presented by Todd Hartman, Principal, Creekside Early Childhood School (OH); Jessica Skelton, Assistant Principal, Creekside Early Childhood School (OH); with Special Guest Deana Moss, Director of MTSS, Lakota Local School District (OH); and Ashlie Cox, Customer Success Manager, Branching Minds
Presented by Dr. Jessica Huizenga, Independent Consultant ; Craig Vaughn, Superintendent, Springfield Township School District (NJ); and James Sanders, Product Marketing Manager, Unruly Studios
Presented by Rebecca Honig, Chief Content and Curriculum Officer, ParentPowered
Moderated by Mary Westervelt, Director of Marketing and Communications, ParentPowered
Chronic absenteeism—students missing 10 or more school days in a year—has been rising across the United States. A recent study by Panorama Education showed that absenteeism nearly doubled from 2018-19 to 2023-24. That means more students missing out not just on academic learning but also on opportunities to connect with teachers and peers, impacting their future. During the edLeader Panel “Improving Attendance: Levers Within Your District’s Locus of Control,” district leaders identified key strategies that have helped get students back in the classroom.
Presented by Dr. Jodi Nocero, Director, Pupil Services, Oxnard School District (CA); Tara Ramirez, Manager of Federal and State Grants, Oxnard School District (CA); Dr. Kelvin Roldán, Deputy Commissioner for System Transformation, Rhode Island Department of Education; and Douglas Coulter, Director of Data Science, Panorama Education
Moderated by Meagan Naboulsi, Account Manager, Panorama Education
During the edLeader Panel “Decreasing Absenteeism and Its Effects with Meaningful Strategies,” Brian Marques, Sr. Director of Opportunity Youth for Boston Public Schools (MA), Aspen Florence, Educational Consultant for the Utah State Board of Education, and Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs for Attendance Works, provided insights into leveraging Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and innovative approaches to understand and address chronic absenteeism and attendance barriers.
Presented by Brian Marques, Sr. Director of Opportunity Youth, Boston Public Schools (MA); Aspen Florence, Educational Consultant, Utah State Board of Education; Cecelia Leong, Vice President of Programs, Attendance Works; and Nicole DellaRocco, Senior Account Director, Panorama Education