Out of Sight Out of Mind? Your Guide to Post-COVID Attendance Data and Recovery [Part 3]

Post-pandemic student attendance hasn’t just dipped. It’s collapsed.

In previous Data-Driven Dispatches, we explored how Louisiana is confronting this challenge with data collection and progress monitoring. Today, in part three of our series, we’re taking a closer look at one of Louisiana’s most powerful strategies: building strong attendance teams at both the school and district levels. As in the prior posts, we are unpacking Louisiana’s landmark strategy: The Power of Presence. Make sure you take the time to read it this week! 

What Is an Attendance Team?

Attendance is a complex issue that no single person or department can solve alone. Think of it like football. Winning takes effort from offense, defense, and special teams. If one aspect of the game falters, the whole team suffers.

The same is true for student attendance. An effective attendance strategy brings together leaders from academics, student services, and community partnerships. Together, they take a holistic view of the problem and design smart interventions.

Now imagine a district attendance team that doesn’t include decision-makers. Any strategies that the team develops may look good on paper. However, without leaders in the room, the team lacks the authority to shift resources or drive real change. When leadership is actively involved, attendance solutions are not only stronger, they are far more likely to be put into action.

What Do Attendance Teams Do?

Attendance teams should have a clear mandate: assess data, plan interventions, implement strategies, and reflect on results. Whether at the district or school level, the process is similar, though the scale and scope may differ.

At the district level, attendance teams might:

• Assess: Build and review attendance dashboards to identify patterns (check out Iberville Parish’s dashboard for inspiration).

• Plan: Set measurable goals and outline action steps to improve attendance.

• Implement: Coordinate partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations to address barriers.

• Reflect: Monitor attendance trends and evaluate the impact of interventions.

At the school level, these same steps are tailored to fit the needs of individual campuses. This is where a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) plays a critical role. MTSS helps schools offer different levels of support based on student needs, ranging from school-wide strategies to individualized outreach.

Each school begins by analyzing its own attendance data. That data then drives the design of a tiered system of supports. But here’s the catch: having a plan isn’t enough.

A Word of Caution

It’s not uncommon for schools to pause once they’ve drafted their attendance plan—especially if it has a catchy acronym or looks great in a presentation. But planning is just the beginning.

The real impact happens during implementation, and that part can be messy. Change takes time. Progress won’t always follow a straight path. Even so, schools must push forward with implementation. After that comes reflection.

Ask yourself:

• Are our interventions being used consistently?

• Are they making a difference?

• What’s working, and what needs to change?

Put simply, once you have a plan in place, consider only one-third of the work complete. The rest involves doing the work, taking an honest look at how it’s going, and making improvements along the way. That’s how real transformation happens.

Final Thoughts and Action Steps

If your school or district is serious about bringing students back, here are a few questions to consider:

• Does your district have a cross-functional attendance team that includes leadership?

• Are your school teams using MTSS to provide targeted attendance support?

• What systems are in place to track implementation and reflect on impact?

We want to hear from you. What’s working in your community to improve attendance? What challenges are you still navigating?

Drop us a note or leave a comment, and be sure to join us next week for part four of our Data-Driven Dispatches series.

About Instructional Data Solutions: Our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most. We assist school systems and education organizations of all sizes by collecting, analyzing, and clearly communicating data. We are committed to empowering educators through comprehensive data analytics and tailored support. Additionally, we provide dedicated support for operational needs, process improvement, and special projects, offering customized solutions to enhance effectiveness and success. Our solutions bridge the gap between data collection and instructional improvement in PK-12 settings.