Volume: 262704EDM
Publication Date: Oct 12, 2026
Resolving Attendance Barriers: Resources & Programs That Work
Attendance challenges can stem from many different barriers, from mental health and chronic illness to transportation, homelessness, school avoidance, and family or school-based challenges.
This playlist brings together practical strategies, expert insights, and district experiences to help education teams identify what is getting in the way and prioritize the right interventions to prevent chronic absenteeism
Explore resources designed to help districts move from identifying barriers to prioritizing interventions, coordinating support, and building a more consistent approach to attendance improvement.
Headlines
Look Beyond the Absence: Why Students Miss School
Attendance improvement starts with understanding what is behind an absence. Explore Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty’s Attendance Science™ perspective on how belonging, relationships, and student experiences shape attendance.
Looking beyond the attendance number can help education teams better understand student needs and respond with more informed support.
What District Leaders Are Doing to Strengthen Attendance
Hear from district leaders about the attendance challenges they have faced and the practical approaches they are using to strengthen family engagement, communication, and attendance support. What works in practice:
• Stronger family engagement
• Multi-channel communication
• More consistent outreach
From Webinar to Action: Key Takeaways on Student Support
Missed the webinar? Explore the key takeaways from our session on student homelessness and school attendance, including housing instability, attendance barriers, McKinney-Vento protections, and coordinated student support.
The recap brings these ideas together with practical considerations for helping teams understand barriers, connect students with support, and strengthen coordinated responses.
Supporting Student Health to Strengthen School Attendance
This session explores how schools, healthcare providers, and community partners can work together to address health-related barriers and connect students with timely support.
Led by Catherine Riggle, MPH, CPH, of Children’s Health, the session will highlight Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine TCHAT and other school-based telehealth services that support student well-being and attendance.
What you’ll take away:
● Practical approaches to connecting students with health support
● Ways to strengthen school – healthcare partnerships
● Resources for exploring school-based telehealth services
