Reducing Chronic Absence

Home > Information & Accountability > Accountability > Reducing Chronic Absence

The Attendance Tool Webinar is now available HERE

If you would like to sign up for the Attendance tool, Email us at AttendanceMatters@ride.ri.gov

What is Chronic Absenteeism?

Chronic Absenteeism is a measure of how many students miss a defined number of school days for any reason. Rhode Island defines Chronic Absenteeism as the percentage of students who miss 10% or more school days during the year (or 2 days per month).

Research shows that chronic absenteeism is associated with a number of negative consequences for students, including lower achievement, disengagement from school, course failure, and increased risk of dropping out.

The Attendance Tool in the News:

RIDE rolls out data on Chronic Absenteeism (WPRI)
RIDE launches online tool to fight student absenteeism (Turn to 10)
RIDE launches new tool to fight school absenteeism (ABC 6)

Statewide Attendance Leaderboard

The Leaderboard is a daily snapshot of attendance in your school.

This public-facing table is an easy way to see school absenteeism at a glance. You can sort by district or school level or you can just search for your own school.

NEW! 2019-20 Attendance Resources

To help you with your Chronic Absence program, RIDE has culled the internet for helpful tools and resources. They are all compiled, sorted and described in this spreadsheet:

2019-20 Attendance Tools

Additional Resources:

Attendance Works is a leader when it comes to Chronic Absenteeism.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has been a state leader in promoting the importance of attending school every day - no matter the age. Below are some excellent resources they have developed.

Together with the United Way, KIDS COUNT leads RI Reads, a statewide effort with the shared goal of doubling the number of third graders reading on grade-level by 2025. Improving school attendance is a key strategy to achieving that goal.

Updated!! School and District Data

These interactive dashboards will help you to look at your attendance over time. It will also help you examine SurveyWorks data that is related to attendance.

NEW: 2018-19 Chronic Absenteeism Data for schools and districts!

Chronic Absenteeism in Rhode Island Schools and Districts

The Attendance Tool - Every student. Every day.

What is the Attendance Tool?

The Attendance Tool was piloted two years ago in East Providence. Developed by RIDE staff in partnership with the Governor's Innovation Office, it is a suite of tools to help school leaders address attendance issues on a daily basis. Unique to these tools is the Attendance Nudge, a mobile application that principals can use to communicate with parents when student absences become a concern.

This year, more than 120 schools across 23 districts are using the tool. .