Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Through School And Family Partnerships: An Action Research Study

Chronic absenteeism is a problem in school districts across the United States, and schools have had limited success in addressing the issue. However, due to the negative effects that excessive absences have on student achievement, it is imperative that schools find effective solutions. This dissertation describes an action research study on a new chronic absenteeism intervention based on school and family partnerships. The intervention used school-based staff members known as achievement partners who had daily check-ins with students and weekly phone conferences with parents. Other elements of the intervention included an at-school event, positive postcards, and the identification of community resources. The intervention was developed based on ideas from Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence and the concept of school connectedness. In the action research study, I examined how students’ attendance changed with the intervention, if the program evidenced improved relationships between the home and school, what aspects of the program participants found most helpful, and whether the program evidenced improved feelings of connection to the school for students. I collected quantitative attendance and questionnaire data and qualitative interview data. The results of the study showed that students’ attendance improved for the majority of the participating students, but the data regarding the home-school relationship and students’ feelings of connection was mixed. Recommendations for improving the intervention include conducting a second cycle of research to further study the components of the intervention, relying more heavily on an action research team comprised of all keys stakeholders in a second cycle, focusing more on each student’s unique reasons for absenteeism, starting the intervention earlier in the year, automatically enrolling students that were chronically absent in eighth grade, and incorporating peer support into the intervention.