What are schools doing to improve attendance? Evidence from Michigan and Georgia

January 2026

This study presents evidence from Michigan and Georgia on the strategies that schools are using to improve attendance and how those strategies vary across contexts. We find that schools in both states rely heavily on communication-based practices aimed at changing student or parent behavior. Practices focused on removing barriers or improving student experiences in school are less common. We find broad similarities between the states, and little variation across different school contexts within states. We do, however, highlight a few notable differences, which likely reflect distinct state policy contexts. Our findings offer a useful starting point to consider how states and districts can shape the adoption and implementation of different practices to improve attendance.

Keywords

attendance, chronic absenteeism, educational policy, survey research

Education level

K-12 Education

Topics

Student Well-Being