Reader,

Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared three simple ideas about attendance.

Attendance is access.

Students must be present before they can access the teachers, relationships, interventions, activities, and opportunities we work so hard to provide.

Every percentage has a name.

Behind every attendance number is a student like Max who needs to feel seen, connected, and part of something bigger than themselves.

And finally:

Data doesn’t improve schools. What we DO with the data improves schools.

That’s where the work begins.

For Illinois school leaders, if you haven’t yet reviewed your preliminary summative designation and attendance data, you can access your Educator Preview here:

​Illinois Admin. check out your preview here.​

Take a look at your chronic absenteeism numbers.

Then ask one simple question:

Is attendance one of the areas we need to improve this year?

If the answer is yes and attendance is showing up in your School Improvement Plan — let’s connect.

You don’t need another attendance slogan.

You don’t need another poster.

You don’t need another committee spending months studying a problem you already know exists.

You need a system.

That’s why I created the Attendance Lab.

It’s a year-long partnership designed to help schools:

Define the drift.

Understand where and why students are disconnecting.

Design the shift.

Build simple, repeatable attendance systems.

Do the daily work.

Create consistency, accountability, and momentum throughout the year.

Because the goal isn’t simply intervention.

The goal is restoration.

Restoring students to school.

Restoring connection.

Restoring access.

Restoring opportunity.

So here’s my invitation:

If attendance is part of your SIP this year, reply to this email with the word ATTENDANCE.

Let’s have a short conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and whether the Attendance Lab can help you get there.

No complicated sales process.

No giant commitment just to learn more.

Just a conversation.

Your data has already identified the opportunity.

Now let’s build the system to change it.

​

Tom

#TeamBOOM

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