Over the past four years, problematic student attendance has risen to a top level concern for schools and districts across the country. The New York Times recently described the phenomena by declaring that “School Absences Have ‘Exploded’.” And the statistics chronicling these trends are startling. Chronic absence rates for K-12 students nearly doubled from 15% in 2018-19 to an astounding 28% in 2021-22. Districts and schools saw only a slight decline to 26% in 2023-24. Once an issue that primarily impacted underserved communities, struggles with high absenteeism rates now transcend nearly every community, demographic, and grade level. 

Administrators, counselors, and educators are well aware of the profound impact this has on student achievement, wellbeing, and long-term success. Research has shown that regularly missing school is directly linked to significantly lower grades and test scores, challenges developing critical thinking and collaboration skills, and a much higher likelihood for students to drop out of high school. Those who work in schools and districts also know that the causes of chronic absence are complicated, deeply rooted, and involve a constellation of multiple overlapping challenges that create barriers for attendance and engagement. 

Though often not part of the immediate and obvious responses to battling chronic absence, college and career readiness (CCR) programming can be crucial in encouraging attendance and helping students feel engaged in the school community. Robust and dynamic CCR programs work to nurture a sense of student belonging, motivate student learning, and help to foster an emphasis on future goals. Administrators and counselors can help to catalyze attendance by ensuring that schools and districts have these kinds of CCR programs that work to make the day to day experiences for students feel both welcoming and worthwhile. 

Fostering Purpose, Passion, and Relevance

Students are more likely to be present at school when they feel that what they are learning and doing is meaningful to them and their future. Many students who do not attend school regularly struggle to see this connection between their school work and future aspirations. Rather, they view the courses they must pass, the assessments they must take, and the projects they must complete as hoops to jump through; not a productive use of their time. 

CCR programs, at their core, help students to align their school work with what they are passionate about and their future plans and goals. Because of this, strong CCR programming can be a powerful antidote to feelings of disconnection and irrelevancy about school. Finding ways for students to identify their interests, make course decisions that allow them to develop relevant knowledge and skills, and define future goals that integrate these passions can spark powerful feelings of motivation and engagement that reframe student conception about the value of attending school each and every day. 

Engaging and Empowering Students 

For students who are struggling to find success or connection to their courses, career and technical education programs and specialized pathways can be a game changer for helping them to be interested in and excited about school. Programs that allow for work-based or other kinds of hands-on learning, collaboration with peers and mentors, or have students earn industry certifications can shift the learning dynamic for students who typically struggle in a traditional classroom. From students interested in the culinary arts able to prepare foods to those interested in manufacturing working and learning on real machines to students interested in education working with students in a classroom, this kind of learning is often incredibly meaningful and energizing for students. For many students, these experiences and courses provide things to look forward to at school, rather than avoid. 

Having students articulate goals around these courses along with tangible action plans to help them transform aspirations into future realities empowers them to take ownership of their futures. These efforts can add layers of purpose and meaning onto students’ course plans and extracurricular involvement. This sense that a student wants to be there, rather than a feeling that they have to be there, can have a significant impact on students' motivation to show up. 

Building Connections & Relationships 

At the very center of motivating students to attend school are the relationships that the students and families have with the educators at the school and the connections that students have with one another. More specialized courses and programs often are smaller and allow for deeper and more long-term relationships. Teachers often teach multiple courses within the same pathway, providing an opportunity for the teacher to better understand how a student learns and to get to know them over the course of several semesters and years. With this, educators are more attuned to a student’s goals and their struggles–providing context for the teacher to know how to best support them. 

In these programs, students often know that a teacher will notice if they miss class, providing a level of accountability that can encourage attendance. Further, educators who are more connected to students can better see a student’s skills, talents, strengths, and passions, and help them to make connections to future plans. This can help a student to realize their potential and value, providing the very highest form of motivation to learn. 

And as students begin to specialize their interests, the class sizes typically become smaller and they are able to work alongside other students who share similar interests and passions. These natural opportunities to collaborate can foster connections and friendships both in the classroom and beyond. And, because work within these courses and experiences is often done as part of a group, there is often some positive social pressure incentivizing students to be present. 

Instilling Hope Through CCR

When CCR permeates the entire school and students see a connection between their every day and their futures, it creates a school climate where students feel connected to what they are learning and who is supporting that learning. CCR programs can help students envision how their hard work will deliver a future they are excited about and provide agency to make decisions that will impact that future. When a school is fueled by student-driven exploration, engagement, and future-planning, students are motivated to be present each day as an investment in their future.