Creating a Culture of Attendance Across Districts: Lessons from Riverside County’s Attendance Summit

When chronic absenteeism is affecting more than 50% of students in some schools, county offices of education have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to lead the charge. That’s exactly what Elizabeth Bartholomew from the Riverside County Office of Education (COE) is doing.

After relaunching an annual attendance summit post-COVID, Riverside COE has created a powerful model for how COEs can build momentum across districts, exchange best practices, and make attendance improvement a shared, energized priority.

Here are key takeaways and actionable ideas from Elizabeth’s approach that other COE leaders can use to plan their own successful attendance-focused events—and how EveryDay Labs can help.

1. Start with District Needs and Feedback

Rather than planning from the top down, Riverside COE grounded its summit in real-time district data and stakeholder input. After each summit, Elizabeth and her team gather feedback through surveys and reflect during after-action reviews. She then directly applies that input to shape future events.

For example, last year attendees asked for fewer keynote speeches and more actionable sessions that they can immediately put into practice. This year, Riverside COE pivoted to convert their own keynote into a breakout session instead. They also added content strands such as family engagement, mental health, and support for at-promise youth (students not on track to graduate) based on district priorities and empathy interviews they conducted with nearly 600 students.

Action Step: Survey your districts and conduct empathy interviews with students. Let their needs shape the theme, speakers, and agenda of your next event.

2. Model the Culture You Want Districts to Create

Every student should feel like a VIP on campus was the theme at the core of the summit. Riverside COE didn’t just talk about it, they modeled it. From red carpet arrivals to music and interactive DJ sessions, everything about the event demonstrated how schools could create welcoming, joyful spaces for students, without spending big.

And the message resonated. Feedback included quotes like, “Best conference yet,” and “I can take this back and implement it tomorrow.”

Action Step: Infuse your summit with the same positivity and creativity you want schools to apply. The medium is the message: let the vibe be part of the professional learning.

3. Prioritize Peer-Led Breakouts

Riverside COE found the highest-rated sessions were from local districts sharing what’s working. Districts that no longer needed differentiated assistance or saw double-digit improvements in chronic absenteeism presented on practices like home visits, independent study strategies, and targeted supports for migrant families.

Action Step: Identify high-performing districts in your region and invite them to present. You don’t need polished presenters—just authentic stories of success.

4. Make It Easy for Districts to Show Up

Riverside County spans over 7,000 square miles. To ensure participation, Elizabeth sets dates far in advance, includes reminders in monthly meetings, and is selective about which events are held in person versus virtually.

But when districts do come together, the experience is unforgettable. “There’s nothing like being in the room,” she says. And by creating such value-packed experiences, Riverside COE ensures it’s worth the drive.

Action Step: Publish “save the dates” early and plan hybrid options when possible. Make in-person time count with connection and inspiration.

5. Bring partners to the table

The event welcomed educators ranging from attendance specialists, to principals, to district superintendents, as well askey partners. Elizabeth brought in community organizations that can support districts in improving attendance, such as after school programs and domestic violence counseling, as well as evidence-based programs like EveryDay Labs. These connections can help jumpstart new initiatives to improve attendance based on specific district or school needs.

Action Step: Invite local organizations and partners providing evidence-based programs to participate in the work with you.

Ready to Plan Your County's Summit?

You may need to get buy-in from other stakeholders before moving forward. And while budget may be a blocker, not every event has to break the bank. Consider hosting your event at your county district offices or a community partner’s space, and inviting sponsors to help offset costs.

Which brings us to Elizabeth’s final piece of advice: don’t try to do this alone. If you're ready to host a summit or launch an initiative to improve attendance across your districts, seek a partner that can help with logistics, content, and vibe. Events are truly magical when different minds come together to ensure a positive experience for all attendees.

With a wide range of experience in hosting and contributing to first-class events, we’d love to help. Whether you need a speaker, a partner for ready-to-use family engagement campaigns, or ideas for designing a high-impact event—EveryDay Labs is here to support you.

‍

📩 Reach out today to explore partnership opportunities.

‍