Every school day, students decide whether to attend school—or not. While attendance is often measured through numbers and percentages, those numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every absence is a student with unique experiences, challenges, relationships, and circumstances that influence whether they feel able, motivated, or supported enough to come to school. For some students, attendance barriers are temporary. For others, they become chronic patterns that place academic achievement, social development, and long-term success at risk.

This 15-hour CTLE course provides educators with practical, research-informed strategies to understand and improve student attendance through a comprehensive, whole-child approach. Participants will explore the many factors that contribute to chronic absenteeism, including school refusal, anxiety, a sense of belonging, family partnerships, student engagement, school climate, educator collaboration, and school-wide systems of support. Throughout the course, educators will examine evidence-based practices that strengthen attendance through positive relationships, early intervention, responsive school systems, and student-centered instructional approaches.

Throughout the course, participants will examine:

• The causes and consequences of chronic absenteeism

• School refusal, school avoidance, and attendance barriers

• The relationship between attendance, belonging, and student engagement

• Family partnerships that support consistent attendance

• Early identification and intervention strategies

• Relationship-centered practices that reconnect students to school

• School-wide attendance systems and collaborative supports

• Student voice and motivation as factors influencing attendance

• Creating welcoming school climates that encourage daily attendance

• Developing comprehensive attendance action plans that promote long-term student success

Participants will reflect on their current attendance practices and develop practical intervention strategies, attendance supports, and collaborative action plans that can be implemented immediately in their classrooms and schools. Assignments are designed to be manageable, practice-focused, and directly connected to real-world educational settings. Special attention is given to helping educators understand the underlying causes of attendance challenges while creating supportive school environments where every student feels connected, valued, and motivated to attend.