CDE Field Trips - 8/28/24: Chronic absenteeism discussion at the CASE conference

Rena Frasco of Morgan County School District speaks during the panel discussion on chronic absenteeism at the CASE conference in July 2024.

Educators working to reduce chronic absenteeism in their districts joined CDE at the Colorado Association of School Executives conference in July to share their strategies for improving attendance. Four educators who had participated in CDE’s learning cohort on chronic absenteeism over the 2023-34 school year held a panel discussion. 

Although Colorado’s school attendance rates improved in the 2023-24 school year, schools are still behind pre-pandemic levels. 

Johann Liljengren, CDE’s director of dropout prevention and student re-engagement, spoke about the importance of relationships at school which are key to students wanting to be at school every day. 

“If a kid is really engaged and challenged and interested in what they're learning, or they have a really strong relationship with an adult in their building, those are still our two best preventative things we can do,” Lilgengran said.

The panelists discussed various approaches to engaging students including empowering teachers, understanding each student's root causes, and building positive relationships with families and community agencies. Many of the school leaders who participated in the learning cohort implemented empathy interviews to learn more about what keeps students from attending regularly.

“If we create a space that is welcoming, that is inclusive, our students are going to come. Our students are going to want to be there,” said Lana Huizar, Summit School District’s equity director.  

CDE’s District Improvement Strategy Office will host another Leadership Learning Cohort on chronic absenteeism during the 2024-25 school year. Learn more on the office’s webpage.  

Find tools to help schools and families prioritize being in school every day at cdeinfo.org/attendance.