Getting to the Heart of Attendance Work (with Springfield Local Schools)

Today, as we continue to delve into the huge priority of chronic absenteeism, we want to shine the spotlight on Springfield Local Schools in Region 8. Springfield is a district just outside of Akron that had a huge hill to climb in terms of increasing student attendance, with more than 4 in 10 students chronically absent (meaning they were absent for at least 10% of school days) in 2021-2022. By working systematically through the Ohio Improvement Process and systemically across their entire district, Springfield saw stunning improvement in their chronic absenteeism rate in just one year. SST8’s Frank Gant talks with Michelle Warner and Todd Lovell, two administrators from Springfield Jr/Sr High about the MANY things they did as a district and a building to make this happen. You'll quickly learn that data and decision rules aren't enough - building stronger relationships with students and families is at the heart of attendance work as well. Co-host: Frank Gant, SST8 Educational Consultant Additional Resources: Attendance Playbook (PDF) from Attendance Works - evidence-based strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism Root Causes of Attendance from Attendance Works website - overview and downloadable worksheet