A Toolkit to Reduce Chronic Absence

Did you know that in 2022 nearly half of Alaskan students missed enough school to put them at risk academically? More than 45% of our students were chronically absent, missing almost a month of school. Help us correct this pattern and cultivate a habit of good attendance starting in kindergarten, or even earlier, so Alaska’s children have the opportunity to learn and succeed in school.

To support the work of meeting Alaska’s Education Challenge, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has developed a toolkit to assist districts, schools, and communities in addressing chronic absenteeism. This toolkit provides ready-made materials that administrators, staff, teachers, and community partners can use for outreach to families and provides tools that schools can use to assess their own attendance practices and guide their improvement.

Why is reducing chronic absence so important?

Students suffer academically if they miss 10 percent or more of school days.
Studies show that children who miss too many days in kindergarten and 1st grade often have trouble mastering reading by the end of 3rd grade. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves.
When children are absent, schools get fewer resources from the state, resulting in less funding to pay for teachers and books. Chronic absence in kindergarten predicts chronic absence the following year, so even the attendance patterns of our youngest students affect funding down the road.

What is in the toolkit?

The Alaska Toolkit to Reduce Chronic Absence includes resources for:

How will I get a toolkit?

Alaskans may access and download the state chronic absence toolkit here.

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development exists to provide information, resources, and leadership to support an excellent education for every student every day.

DEED staff work alongside educators and community members in Alaska to realize the vision of all students succeeding in their education and work, shaping worthwhile and satisfying lives for themselves, exemplifying the best values of society, and being effective in improving the character and quality of the world about them. Alaska Statute 14.03.015