Lifting Up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign

Elise Swanson, Sativa Thompson, Jennifer Ash, Hayley Didriksen, Thomas J. Kane, Douglas O. Staiger, and Lisa Sanbonmatsu

As rural districts continue to struggle with high rates of chronic absenteeism, this study finds that personalized caregiver messages can be a low-cost and effective tool to improve attendance.

In a large randomized trial across K-12 students in 47 rural districts in 16 states, sending regular, personalized messages to caregivers about their child’s attendance reduced student absences by 4.5% when delivered as intended, equivalent to roughly half a day of school over the year. The intervention cost about $4 per student and was more effective when messages were sent frequently.

THE INTERVENTION

The “LIFT Up Attendance” program was designed based on evidence that personalized, goal-oriented nudges can influence behavior, especially when caregivers may not be aware of attendance issues. Core features of the intervention included:

• Personalization: Each message included the student’s name, the number of absences in the past 4–6 weeks, and a concrete attendance goal for the next month.
• Positive Tone: Messages were framed to be supportive and encouraging, aiming to prompt caregiver engagement without assigning blame.
• Repetition: Messages were sent every 4 to 6 weeks, resulting in up to six messages per year during the 2023–24 school year (fewer in the pilot year, 2022–23).
• Delivery Method: Schools used existing communication systems to send messages directly to caregivers, reducing the need for new infrastructure or staffing.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The researchers used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 47 rural school districts. About 41,500 K–12 students were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Districts already using Infinite Campus received templates and minimal training. Because not all caregivers in the treatment group received messages (due to missing contact info or technical issues), the researchers estimated both:

• Intent-to-treat effects: comparing all students assigned to treatment vs. control.
• Treatment-on-treated effects: comparing students who actually received messages to comparable controls using instrumental variables analysis.

KEY FINDINGS

1. Personalized caregiver messages reduce student absences in rural districts.
   Among students whose caregivers actually received the messages, absences dropped by 4.5% on average. The impact translates into roughly 0.5 fewer absences per year, a modest but meaningful reduction given the extremely low cost of the program (approx. $4 per student).
2. The impact of the messages was larger for students who were chronically absent in the prior year, FRPL-eligible students, and students with disabilities. 
   Students who were chronically absent in the prior year showed significantly larger reductions in absences, indicating the intervention may be particularly effective for re-engaging students who have struggled to attend school consistently in the past.
3. There were no significant effects for Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Multiracial students, or for students with strong prior attendance. 
   There are no significant effects of personalized messaging for Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Multiracial students. Students with strong prior attendance (i.e., those not chronically absent) did not experience meaningful changes, reinforcing that the program is most effective for students with attendance problems rather than as a general preventive tool.
4. Districts that followed the recommended practice of sending at least 3–6 rounds of messages across the school year saw larger effects than those that implemented inconsistently. 
   Districts that sent at least three messages in one year (2022–23) or six messages the next year (2023–24) saw significantly greater effects. Districts with poor contact information, technical issues, or inconsistent message delivery saw smaller or no effects.
5. Dedicated staff time and systems readiness are key to ensuring the program is effective. 
   Despite being designed as a low-effort intervention, the study highlights the real-world challenges of launching even modest efforts. Districts faced issues with message template integration, filter selection, and ensuring caregiver contact info was up to date.

COST EFFECTIVENESS

At an average cost of ~$4 per student, the intervention is cost-effective even with modest improvements in attendance. The value of a single added school day is estimated at $75. In future years, costs are expected to fall below $2.50 per student as fixed setup and training costs drop.

FULL WORKING PAPER

This summary is based on the EdWorkingPaper “Lifting Up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign,” published in May 2025. The full research paper can be found here: https://edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1189