A 6-Step Guide
to Choosing the
Right Attendance Management Solution

Including Downloadable Tools and Resources to Get You Started

Embarking on Your Attendance Improvement Journey

Choosing an attendance management solution is more than just a decision—it’s the start of a transformative journey for your district. Like any great expedition, this journey requires careful planning, the right tools, and a clear destination in mind.

As you set out to explore attendance management platforms, you’re charting a course toward a future where every student has the support they need to show up and succeed. This guide will be your map, helping you navigate each step of the process, from assembling your team to implementing your chosen solution.

Along the way, we’ll provide you with tools, insights, and encouragement to help you make the most of this opportunity. Remember, improving attendance is about more than just boosting numbers. It’s about creating an environment where students want to come to school, where they feel supported, and where they can thrive. 

Step 1: Assembling Your Crew
Step 2: Charting Your Course
Step 3: Choosing Your Vehicle—Understanding Attendance Management Solutions
Step 4: Surveying the Landscape—Understanding the Impact on Your School Community
Step 5: Support Teacher to Document Their Professional Growth
Step 6: Exploring a Potential Path—A Closer Look at SchoolStatus Attend

Let’s begin.

Step 1: Assembling Your Crew

Every great journey starts with assembling the right team. In this case, your crew will be instrumental in making informed decisions and ensuring smooth implementation.

Who to Include:

• Administrators
• IT staff
• Counselors
• Teachers
• Support staff

Once you’ve assembled your crew, it’s time to set your course.

Step 2: Charting Your Course

To choose the right attendance solution, it’s important to first identify the desired direction. This is the moment to define goals and objectives.

Setting Your Destination:

1. Analyze your current attendance data. Where are you now?
2. Envision where you want to be. What does success look like for your district?
3. Align your attendance goals with broader district priorities.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just focus on overall attendance rates. Look at chronic absenteeism by grade level. Students who are chronically absent begin to show signs as early as Kindergarten, making careful monitoring essential from Day 1 of the K-12 journey. In the older years, lateness and skipped classes are early indicators worth watching for.

With your destination set, it’s time to choose your vehicle–your attendance intervention solution.

Step 3: Choosing Your Vehicle—Understanding Attendance Management Solutions

As you prepare to choose the right attendance intervention solution for your district, it’s crucial to understand what these solutions are and why they’re so important. Think of this chapter as your map legend – helping you interpret the landscape of options before you.

What is an Attendance Intervention Solution?

An attendance intervention solution is a comprehensive tool designed to help schools track, analyze, and improve student attendance. It’s not just about counting who’s present or absent – it’s about providing a holistic approach to attendance management that includes data analysis, communication tools, and intervention strategies.

Why It’s Important

Choosing the right attendance intervention solution isn’t just about ticking boxes – it’s about setting your district up for success. Here’s why it matters:

1. Student Performance: Poor attendance has a direct impact on student achievement. The right solution can help you identify and address attendance issues early.
2. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Many states have strict attendance reporting requirements. A good solution helps ensure you’re meeting these obligations.
3. Long-term Benefits: Proactive attendance management can have significant long-term benefits, including improved budget allocations in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) states.
4. Equity and Access: Automated interventions can help ensure all students receive timely support, regardless of staff capacity.

Key Features to Look For:

As you explore different solutions, keep an eye out for these important features:

1. Data Management:

• Integration with your Student Information System (SIS)

• Real-time attendance tracking

• Ability to track intra-day attendance (i.e., skipped classes)

2. Communication Tools:

• Automated notifications to ensure equitable outreach
• Translation services for multilingual communities
• Options for both paper and digital communications

3. Intervention Management:

• Conference scheduling tools
• Customizable intervention types
• Positive intervention strategies
• Balance of notification letters and educational campaigns

4. Reporting and Analytics:

• Comprehensive reporting for compliance
• Predictive analytics for early intervention

💡 Pro Tip: Look for solutions that support a comprehensive daily attendance framework. One successful district implemented a three-step approach:

1. Before Taking Attendance: Set up attendance committees and establish daily goals.
2. While Taking Attendance: Ensure all teachers take attendance promptly and accurately.
3. After Taking Attendance: Use real-time data to identify issues, conduct administrative check-ins, and follow up on absences immediately.

This approach allows for proactive management and timely interventions, key factors in improving attendance rates.

Step 4: Surveying the Landscape—Understanding the Impact on Your School Community

As you continue on your journey to improved attendance, it’s crucial to understand how your chosen solution will shape the landscape of your school community. Let’s explore the potential changes you might see on the horizon for students, families, staff, and your district as a whole.

Student and Family Engagement

The right attendance solution can revolutionize how you communicate with families and engage students:

• Improved Communication: Automated, timely notifications keep families informed about their child’s attendance.
• Student Accountability: When students know attendance is being closely monitored, it can encourage greater responsibility.
• Integrated Approach: Look for solutions that work seamlessly with your day-to-day communications, creating a cohesive experience for families.
• Positive Reinforcement: Recognize and reward consistent attendance to encourage continued student engagement and foster a positive school culture.

Support for Staff

Your staff are the heart of your attendance improvement efforts. The right solution should make their jobs easier, not harder:

• Reduced Administrative Burden: Automation of routine tasks frees up staff time for more impactful work.
• Targeted Interventions: Data-driven insights allow staff to provide more personalized support to students who need it most.

District-Level Benefits

The impact of a good attendance intervention solution extends to the district level:

• Improved Performance Metrics: Better attendance often leads to improved academic performance and graduation rates.
• Regulatory Compliance: Comprehensive reporting features help ensure you’re meeting all state and federal requirements.
• Enhanced Resource Allocation: Data-driven insights can help you allocate resources more effectively, potentially leading to budget savings.

💡 Pro Tip: When evaluating solutions, consider how they’ll impact each level of your school community. The best solutions offer benefits across the board.

Use this tool for accurate daily attendance tracking. Analyze data regularly to identify at-risk students before they become chronically absent.

Step 5: Navigating the Selection Process

Now that you understand what to look for in an attendance intervention solution and why it matters, let’s dive into the process of finding and selecting the right one for your district.

Identifying Potential Solutions

Start your search by:

• Researching vendors online
• Attending educational technology conferences
• Asking for recommendations from peer districts
• Surveying your key stakeholders to understand their needs and preferences

Evaluating Solutions

Once you’ve identified potential solutions, it’s time to dig deeper:

Request Demos: See the solutions in action. Pay attention to user-friendliness and how well they align with your needs.

Understand Pricing: Look beyond the initial price tag. Consider: Implementation costs, ongoing support and maintenance fees, and potential savings from improved efficiency and attendance rates.

Check Integration Capabilities: Ensure the solution can integrate smoothly with your existing systems, particularly your SIS.

Assess Data Security: Given the sensitive nature of student data, robust security measures are non-negotiable.

Ask Key Questions: Don’t be afraid to dig deep. Ask about customization options, support services, and future development plans.

Vendor Comparison

To make your final decision:

1. Create a Comparison Matrix: List all your requirements and how each vendor measures up.
2. Assess Vendor Reputation: Look for customer testimonials and ask for references.
3. Evaluate Support and Service: Consider the level of support offered during and after implementation.

💡 Pro Tip: Look for solutions that offer both automatic interventions and the ability to customize interventions. This balance allows for efficiency while maintaining the personal touch that’s so crucial in education.

Step 6: Exploring a Potential Path—A Closer Look at SchoolStatus Attend

As we near the end of our journey, let’s take a moment to explore one potential path. SchoolStatus Attend is a comprehensive attendance platform designed to help K-12 districts improve student attendance and engagement. It offers a range of features aimed at streamlining attendance management and intervention processes.

Key differentiators include:

• Seamless integration with major SIS platforms
• Advanced analytics for early identification of at-risk students
• Multilingual communication tools for diverse communities
• Positive, proactive education campaigns with accompanying translated physical mailers 

Features 

SchoolStatus Attend offers a robust set of features:

• Attendance Tracking: Real-time, intra-day attendance monitoring
• Intervention Management: Customizable intervention strategies and automated notifications
• Automated Conference Scheduling: Send letters and text notifications to families for upcoming attendance-related school conferences with specific time slots
• Family Engagement: Two-way communication tools with translation services
• Reporting and Analytics: Comprehensive dashboards and predictive analytics

Implementation and Support

SchoolStatus provides comprehensive support throughout the implementation process:

1. Initial Setup: Dedicated team to ensure smooth data integration and system configuration
2. Training: Comprehensive training programs for all staff levels
3. Ongoing Support: Continuous technical support and regular check-ins to ensure optimal use of the system

Your Journey Continues

As we reach the end of this guide, remember that choosing an attendance management solution is just the beginning of your journey. The real adventure lies in implementing your chosen solution and using it to create lasting change in your district.

Whether you choose SchoolStatus Attend or another solution, the key is to remain focused on your ultimate goal: creating an environment where every student has the support they need to show up and succeed.

As you move forward, keep asking questions, stay open to feedback, and be ready to adapt. Your journey to improved attendance is a marathon, not a sprint, but with the right tools and mindset, you’re well-equipped for the road ahead.

Here’s to the exciting journey that awaits you and your district. Safe travels!

Ready to take your attendance management to the next level? Book a demo with SchoolStatus today and see how we can partner with your district to dramatically improve attendance rates and student outcomes.