- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Addressing Chronic Absenteeism
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Student attendance is a cornerstone of academic success, yet in the 2023-2024 school year, 43% of Alaska’s students were identified as chronically absent.
Students who miss less than 10% of school (fewer than 17 days per year or less than 2 days per month on average) have higher reading proficiency by 3rd grade, better middle school achievement, and increased rates of high school graduation. For more details, please see the Student Data Reporting Manual (docx).
Using a Muti-Tiered System of Support, schools can work towards reducing chronic absenteeism. Districts start with foundational support to ensure that they have the structures in place to help students succeed. There are then three tiers to address attendance:
Tier 1 Whole School Prevention (prevention-oriented support),
Tier 2 Early Intervention (more personalized outreach) and
Tier 3 Intensive Intervention (directed intervention).
"Chronic absence—missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason—excused, unexcused absences and suspensions—can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school." - Attendance Works
Additional Resources
Join us in collaborating to explore the factors driving absenteeism in their school communities. Starting in October: dates & times coming soon.
For more information on addressing chronic absenteeism, please visit the following resources:
- State Board of Education Attendance Report, December 5, 2024 (pdf)
- FY26 Superintendent Fly-In August 1st, 2025 (pptx)
- Absenteeism What's Next? (docx)
- Attendance Matters “Strive for 5 Attend School All Week!” Public Health Brief (Coming soon!)
