Connecting with families to improve students’ school attendance: A review of the literature

School attendance is a rising issue in public schools. Students regularly absent from school can end up involved in destructive behaviors and dropout of school. Family characteristics are strong determining factors in students’ school attendance. This presents the question, “Can family involvement improve public school students’ attendance?” One way to do this is through phone calls from the school faculty to students’ caregivers. Promoting attendance early in a student’s life can encourage attendance and maintain this habit throughout his or her school career. The studies reviewed—using parent involvement—show promise to improving students’ attendance. When parents or caregivers are regularly apprised of their child’s attendance, they can provide appropriate feedback at home. Other findings and implications for phone call interventions and attendance are discussed.