There was a time when school attendance was simply seen as a measure of whether a student showed up to school. Today, we know it’s far more complex and informative than that.
Some absences begin with a fever or asthma attack. Others have anxiety or depression just underneath them. Too often they involve an unreliable bus, an unexpected move, or an older child needing to care for younger siblings.
When we only count absences, we miss the story. When we understand the story, we have an opportunity to change the outcome.
That’s why we launched Attendance as a Vital Sign (AVS), our commitment to align health and education systems to jointly address the health-related causes of chronic absence through a proactive, cross-sector approach. Across the country, nearly 1 in 4 students is chronically absent, meaning they miss 10% or more of the school year. Behind those numbers are children who are missing not only classroom instruction, but trusted relationships, school meals, mental health supports, physical activity, and opportunities that can impact their lifelong well-being.
A New National Collaboration to Reduce Chronic Absence
Today we’re proud to share more about the AVS initiative and the organizations we are convening to create an innovative national model that connects education, health care, and community organizations around one shared goal: helping students stay healthy, connected, and in school.
To accomplish this, AVS is focused on two complementary efforts. At the heart of both is the simple belief that no single system can solve chronic absence alone. When health challenges keep students out of school, learning suffers. When students become disconnected from school, their long-term health and life opportunities can suffer as well.
The first effort supports school districts in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Center for School Health and Attendance Works. Together, they will help schools use attendance and health data more effectively, identify students who may need support earlier, and provide practical tools, coaching, and resources so districts can respond before emerging challenges impact attendance.
“Success in school supports the health of children, and the health of children supports their success in school. Because there is every reason for education and health to join forces to address chronic absence, we are thrilled to be part of this project.” Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
“Health remains the leading reason students miss school, making attendance a clear indicator of whether students are healthy and well or struggling to stay on the path to success. When school districts and health partners work together to understand why students miss school, they can intervene earlier, prevent unnecessary absences and reduce chronic absence,” said Hedy Chang, CEO and president, Attendance Works.
The second effort is in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Pediatric providers are often among the first professionals to recognize when health concerns, behavioral health needs, or social challenges are affecting a child’s daily life. By making attendance a more meaningful part of pediatric care, providers can help connect families to resources before absences become chronic.
“The AAP has long recognized the important role schools play in improving the health outcomes of children and youth and is looking forward to working with Kaiser Permanente to identify ways that pediatricians can help remove barriers toward student school attendance,” said AAP Chief Medical Officer Lee Beers, MD, FAAP. “Pediatricians, families, youth advisors and key partner organizations whose work centers on school attendance will help inform this work.”
Over the next three years, Kaiser Permanente will convene this collaboration of leading national organizations to work intensively with 30 school districts as well as release universally available pediatric resources to develop practical, scalable models that communities across the country can adopt.
Every absence has a story. AVS is about making sure those stories are heard early, before a missed day becomes a pattern, and before a solvable challenge becomes a lasting barrier to lifelong success.
