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The Power of Present:
A National Summit on Student Absenteeism

Hosted by EveryDay Labs in collaboration with Attendance Works

Watch the Keynotes from the Summit

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How We Do It

Proactive Engagement

Our data experts proactively enroll families in the program as their students become at risk of being academically off track due to chronic absenteeism.

Nonpunitive Messaging

We send nudges by text and mail that help families better understand their children’s attendance, are written to be accessible for all families, and provide actionable information through tested messaging.

Impactful Timing

The evidence-based outreach cadence is customized to engage families at the most important moments on your academic calendar.

Data shows that 2.7 times as many students are on track to be chronically absent compared to prior to the pandemic. In correlation, math and reading achievement are plummeting across the country, putting millions of students off track and at risk of dropping out.

To reckon with the implications of this national crisis, EveryDay Labs hosted a first-of-its-kind summit on student absenteeism with the goal of raising attendance in districts across the nation. Through the course of the summit, district leaders had the opportunity to learn from both leading experts and their fellow educators while collaborating on improvement plans.

Over the course of the Summit, key thought leaders in the attendance and education space made critical connections between attendance, academics, family engagement, a nonpunitive school culture, and equity. Watch the recordings of their keynotes below, and feel free to share with your colleagues.

Data Tells a Story: The Narrative & How We Change It

Presented by Hedy N. Chang, Executive Director & President at Attendance Works

In this keynote, Hedy N. Chang: 

  • Did a deep dive into national data sets to highlight key trends and patterns 
  • Put a spotlight on what trends and patterns to watch for in your district 
  • Provided insights into how to use data to align supports to get students back on track 
  • Defined what progress means and how to measure it

Fostering Change with Evidence-Based Strategies for Improvement

Presented by Phyllis W. Jordan, Associate Director at FutureEd

In this keynote, Phyllis W. Jordan: 

  • Provided a national overview of funding and how it’s being invested
  • Discussed how funding can be allocated to drive more equitable outcomes
  • Shared key evidence-based strategies for attendance and school improvement

Now More Than Ever: Family Engagement is Essential for Student and School Success

Presented by Dr. Karen L. Mapp, Senior Lecturer on Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education

‍In this keynote, Dr. Karen L. Mapp: 

  • Articulated the essential conditions for effective family engagement and supporting research
  • Discussed what it means to implement the 2019 Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships with fidelity 
  • Talked about how to cultivate and sustain liberatory (free of dominance), solidarity-driven (in union and fellowship), and equity-focused (fair and just) family engagement 

Serving the Whole Child: Aligning Supports to Catalyze Student Success

Presented by Pam Allyn, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO of Dewey Community & Dr. Ernest Morrell, Professor & Director of the Center for Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame

In this keynote, Pam Allyn and Dr. Ernest Morrell:

  • Guided leaders to consider the strengths and challenges of current programs
  • Shared how to build from strengths and align efforts to drive school improvement
  • Inspired leaders to focus on practices that take a whole-child approach to student success

Engaging Students and Families to Improve Student Outcomes at Scale

A panel featuring Chelsea Montgomery, Executive Director of Student Services, Fulton County Schools; Sarah Peterson, Senior Director of Attendance, Research and Innovation, New York City Department of Education; Dr. Todd Rogers, Cofounder, EveryDay Labs; and moderated by Dr. Nicole Bosworth, Senior Director of District Partnerships, EveryDay Labs.

District Leader Panel: Lessons From the Field

A panel featuring featuring: Eric Bethel, Instructional Superintendent, District of Columbia Public Schools; Dr. Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer, Richmond Public Schools; Derek Little, Dallas Independent School District, Deputy Chief of Teaching and Learning, Chelsea Montgomery, Executive Director, Office of Student Services, Fulton County Schools; Katie Casstevens, Administrative Supervisor, Department of Student Support Services, Austin Independent School District; and, moderated by Dr. Todd Rogers, Cofounder, EveryDay Labs.

Featured Thought Leaders

Dr. Karen L. Mapp
Dr. Karen L. Mapp
Senior Lecturer on Education and Faculty Director, Education Policy and Management, Harvard University; Special Advisor, EveryDay Labs
Pam Allyn
Pam Allyn
Author; Advocate; Founder, LitWorld; Cofounder, Dewey
Hedy N. Chang
Hedy N. Chang
Executive Director and President, Attendance Works
Phyllis W. Jordan
Phyllis W. Jordan
Associate Director, FutureEd
Dr. Ernest Morrell
Dr. Ernest Morrell
Professor and Associate Dean of Humanities and Equity, University of Notre Dame; Cofounder, Dewey
Dr. Todd Rogers
Dr. Todd Rogers
Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University; Cofounder, EveryDay Labs (His role with EveryDay Labs is independent of his faculty position at Harvard.)

Featured District Leaders

Dr. Shadae Harris
Chief Engagement Officer, Richmond Public Schools
Dr. Derek Little
‍Deputy Chief of Teaching and Learning, Dallas Independent School District
Chelsea Montgomery
Executive Director of Student Services, Fulton County Schools
Jennifer Kretschman
Director of MTSS, Student Attendance & Engagement, Sacramento City Unified School District
Eric Bethel
Instructional Superintendent, District of Columbia Public Schools
Katie Casstevens
‍Administrative Supervisor, Austin Independent School District
Sarah Peterson
Senior Director of Attendance, Research and Innovation, New York City Department of Education
Michael Romero
Superintendent, Local District South, Los Angeles Unified School District

Getting students on track starts with attendance. We can help.