Using data can help you provide the right intervention to the right student. This guide will help you identify patterns and trends in the student data in order to determine what supports students need.
For our work, Early Tier 2 is defined as missing 10–14% of days; High Tier 2 is missing 15–20% of days.
Step One: Gather data for students with a year-to-date absence rate of 10–14%
Monthly absence rate: Divide the total number of full-day absences by the number of days enrolled in a given month
Daily Attendance Data: Every date that the student was absent
Academic Calendar
Step Two: Using the data, identify patterns and trends for each student
Patterns: Absences that repeat in a recognizable way and may suggest future absences. Some questions to help identify patterns:
Which day or part of the week is most often missed?
How often does the absence border a school holiday?
Are absences usually single day or multiday absences?
Do students in the same household have similar attendance patterns?
Trends: How attendance data changes over the year. Trends to look for:
Increasing absenteeism
Improving attendance
Step Three: Recommend Interventions
Use the patterns and trends to determine appropriate interventions for each student.
Nudge and Incentive-Based Interventions: Students with a clear absenteeism pattern should receive interventions that address their specific pattern. Some examples:
Incentives to attend on the day of the week missed most
Outreach just before breaks for “vacation extenders”
Positive reinforcement for improved attendance
Attendance Barrier Assessment: Students with no clear absenteeism pattern or with an increasing absenteeism trend require more information before determining the most appropriate intervention. Attendance teams should gather this information through the Attendance Barrier Assessment.
Step Four: Create Intervention Groups
For each type of intervention your team recommends, name the group, list the students, and assign an attendance team member to facilitate. Example:
Group 1: Vacation Extenders
Intervention Plan: Letter sent two weeks prior to spring break; phone call to family during week prior to break
Student Names: Andrea Washington, Omar Jimenez, Sarah Billings
Responsible Team Member: Mrs. Cortez
A note about the Attendance Barrier Assessment:
Students with 15–20% absenteeism should receive an Attendance Barrier Assessment as the recommended next step. Early Tier 2 students that require an Attendance Barrier Assessment can be grouped with High Tier 2 students.
Step Five: Monitor Student Progress
Early Tier 2 students should be monitored monthly by analyzing their daily attendance from the previous month:
Track the efficacy of interventions
Observe new trends and patterns
Ensure that attendance doesn’t decline