Student Attendance Improvement Focus after Pandemic
As the effects of more than a year of pandemic living begin to wane, schools and districts are rapidly pivoting to prepare for the return of students and staff to full-day instruction, athletics, and extracurricular activities. While there is an undeniable sense of excitement about reopening schools, it is crucial to recognize that many students and families will require additional support to re-establish their daily routines, particularly concerning in-person attendance.
This research report offers a forward-looking perspective on the challenges educators across the nation anticipate as schools resume operations. It also presents innovative ideas and strategies aimed at helping students readjust to positive attendance patterns and effective work habits.
Examining the Reality & Defining Re-Engagement Strategies
The following report provides a comprehensive examination of the issues at hand, along with actionable solutions to build on the successes achieved during this year of growth and adaptation. You may be familiar with the traditional belief that it takes approximately three weeks, or about 21 days, for individuals to form new habits or break old ones. However, more recent research from University College London (2010) indicates that the average time required to change a behavior is actually 66 days, with individual variations ranging from 18 to an astonishing 254 days.
Given that many American families have engaged in virtual or hybrid learning models for over a year, the re-entry process to in-person, on-time, full-day instruction presents significant challenges. Both adults and young people have largely abandoned their previous habits of waking up to an alarm clock, managing morning routines, grabbing breakfast on the go, navigating rush hour traffic, and arriving at school before the bell rings. What once happened almost automatically now requires intentional effort to re-establish.
As the nation gradually reopens and we collectively resume some pre-pandemic activities, it is essential to acknowledge that not everything will revert to its former state. Therefore, we must anticipate and plan for attendance scenarios that may have existed in the past but have evolved in distinct ways. RaaWee K12 Solutions is at the forefront of this transition, ready to assist schools, districts, families, and students in reintegrating smoothly into their educational settings.
About the Presenter
Born and raised in an educator household, Dr. Kim Wallace started her own career in public education 30 years ago as a high school English and history teacher before becoming a site principal and district office administrator. Her most recent K-12 role was as superintendent of one of the 20 largest school districts in California.
Kim joined the UC Berkeley School of Education Leadership Programs division as the Associate Director of the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) State Center in 2020. She also runs her own consulting company Process Makes Perfect, specializing in real world solutions for practitioners in the field. Kim consults, writes, and presents internationally on systems change and emerging trends in educational leadership. An award-winning, innovative educator, Kim leverages her abilities in educational administration, program management, and relationship development to optimize institutional effectiveness and deliver remarkable results.
Dr. Wallace’s book Leading the Launch: A Ten-Stage Process for Successful School District Initiatives was published by Solution Tree Press in 2021, followed by Leading Through an Equity Lens in 2023. Her upcoming book, Gamechanging Leadership in Action: An Educator’s Companion is in production with Routledge/Taylor & Francis (Fall 2025). Kim attended the University of California Santa Barbara for her undergraduate degree in history. She then earned her Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) at the University of California Los Angeles and culminated her educational goals with a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) from the University of California Davis.
