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Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Attendance and Engagement in California

Legal Notification: Guidance documents prepared by the California Department of Education, such as this one, are provided as a model or reference and are merely exemplary. Compliance with this guidance is not mandatory. It does not have the force or effect of law, and it is not meant to suggest that the reader has obligations that go beyond those set forth in the cited statutes or legislative rules. Additionally, all reference links to outside resources are provided for the reader’s convenience only, the contents/accuracy of which are not otherwise verified or endorsed by the CDE.

Attendance and engagement matter profoundly for California’s 5.8 million students. When students attend school regularly, they have the opportunity to learn, develop positive relationships with their peers and teachers, and practice the soft skills that lead to success in the workplace.

The Problem

In California, chronic absence more than doubled during the pandemic, from 12.1 percent in 2018–19 to 30 percent at the peak in 2021–22. While it has decreased to 20.4 percent in 2023–24 thanks to California’s significant investments in Community Schools, Expanded Learning, Universal Transitional Kindergarten, and Career Pathways, chronic absence levels are still much higher than prepandemic levels. Research shows that students who are chronically absent are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, perform well in middle school, and graduate from high school (Balfanz and Byrnes 2012; Chang and Romero 2008). Chronic absence disproportionately impacts specific student populations, including students with disabilities, foster and homeless youth, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, English learners, and certain racial and ethnic groups (Chavez and Hough 2025). Additionally, it is associated with lower levels of educational engagement, social–emotional development, and executive functioning (Nauer et al. 2008; Attendance Works 2023).

When chronic absence reaches high levels, the disruption in the classroom makes it harder for teachers to teach and students to learn. California schools with more than 20 percent chronic absence (PDF) had fewer students reading on grade level at third grade and/or graduating from high school (Chang, Chavez, and Hough 2024). In 2023–24, according to an analysis by PACE , over 50 percent of schools in California still had chronic absence rates of 20 percent or higher (Chang et al. 2024).

These high levels of chronic absence reflect challenges occurring in schools as well as in the community that cannot be addressed without schools, districts, public agencies, and community partners working in partnership to support students and families.

The Goal

In response to this attendance crisis, the goal of the California Department of Education (CDE) is to reduce chronic absence by 50 percent over 5 years. While this goal is challenging, California school data shows that our schools are currently on track to meet this milestone.

To support continued progress toward this goal, CDE suggests that districts focus on transition grades (transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, sixth grade, and ninth grade), when chronic absence typically jumps. CDE also suggests focusing on elementary, middle, and high schools with the largest numbers of chronically absent students.

Strategic Priorities

This guidance proposes achieving this ambitious reduction by attempting to strengthen collaborative efforts that contribute to the following:

• Health, well-being, and safety – Students attend school when they are physically and emotionally healthy as well as when they feel safe and supported.
• Family engagement – Students attend school when they and their families are actively engaged as partners in advancing learning and overcoming barriers to getting to school.
• Student connectedness – Students attend school when they are connected to a caring adult and peers, engaged in prosocial activities, and feel a sense of belonging (Attendance Works 2019, 2025).

Attention to these three priority approaches is integrated throughout this guidance.

The Purpose of This Guide

This document (1) provides guidance to district, school, and county office of education leaders in support of a holistic and comprehensive approach to reducing chronic absence and improving consistent school attendance.

Improving attendance is a complex effort that can be bolstered by leadership, teams, and strategic action at multiple levels: schools, districts, and county offices of education. There is no simple solution. While schools determine what happens on the ground to advance a multi-tiered approach that begins with prevention, districts can contribute a sustainable, data-informed, and high-quality approach across schools. At the same time, county offices of education can help ensure that districts are prepared to equip their schools to monitor data, adopt consistent attendance policies, and help secure partnerships and resources that may be needed for interventions.

The examples and suggestions in this guide can support leaders to:

• Take a data-driven approach to assess whether the students who need support are receiving it
• Determine whether the benefits gained from these supports and programs could be improved
• Connect and combine resources and programs such as Expanded Learning, Community Schools, and Transitional Kindergarten to achieve better results; integrate attendance into Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Change mindsets from a punitive approach to one of problem-solving in partnership with families

The guide includes information about basic attendance terminology and California attendance laws and potential key sources of data, as well as tools, worksheets, and other useful resources that can support identification of root causes of chronic absence and implementation of interventions.

(1) This guide is meant to complement, not replace, the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Road Map for Improved School Attendance and Behavior (PDF).