State Board of Education Members Learn How Local Districts Have Improved Attendance

LANSING – Local school districts and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) are using researched-based strategies to chip away at chronic absenteeism and will continue to work to improve student attendance by implementing additional plans.

The State Board of Education today received an update on attendance progress and the plans to use proven strategies to address chronic absenteeism.

“In Michigan, we are using strategies that research shows are effective in getting our children to attend school regularly,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “It takes the entire community to address chronic absenteeism. That’s why MDE will continue to collaborate with families, schools, the business community and all school stakeholders to further improve student attendance.”

Statewide public school attendance improved slightly last year, the fourth consecutive year of gains after declines during the pandemic, according to state data. Michigan’s statewide attendance for the 2025-26 school year increased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 91.5%. Since the 2021-22 school year, when the attendance rate was 88.8%, the number has improved by 2.7 percentage points. The statewide chronic absenteeism rate also improved for the fourth consecutive year, declining by 0.7 of a percentage point to 27.2% and down by 11.3 percentage points since 2021-22.

While researchers are still gathering evidence on effective strategies for improving chronic absenteeism, they know that deep family engagement, coordinated attendance systems, and leadership involvement are more common in schools that are effective in improving attendance. Home visits, personalized communication, and providing families with support to address barriers to attendance are particularly effective, according to the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research at Wayne State University. School leadership that makes attendance a top priority, implements strategies within a coordinated system such as a Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and monitors attendance initiatives are also associated with improved attendance, the Wayne State researchers say.

Dr. Sarah Winchell Lenhoff, founding faculty director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research, was among the presenters at today’s meeting.

MDE has assisted local school districts in implementing the research-based Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System, a seven-step, data-driven, decision-making process that helps educators identify, monitor, and support students who show symptoms of risk for dropping out of high school. Over two years of implementation from 2022 to 2024, schools using the system nationally experienced a 28% reduction in chronic absenteeism—dropping from an average of 29% to 21%. For ninth-graders, the average course failure rate dropped from 32% to 22%.

Educators from Baldwin Community Schools, located in Lake County in West Michigan, attended today’s meeting to share how their attendance has improved while using the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System.

The chronic absence rate at Baldwin Jr. High School has dropped from close to 40% in the 2022-23 school year to under 15% during the current school year. At Baldwin High School, the 40% chronic absenteeism rate in 2022-23 decreased to 25% this school year.

Baldwin High School last school year identified 12 students from the Class of 2026 who were in danger of not graduating, said Bruce Mangum, assistant superintendent of instructional services for the district. The school assigned staff members called student success coaches who conducted check-in meetings with the students to help them get caught up with their schoolwork.

“Over the course of the year, we had 750 check-in meeting with those kids,” Mangum said. “Out of those 12, 11 of them made it across the stage (on graduation day). So we’re really, really, really proud of that. Because of that, we had the largest graduating class since 2019.”

State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh said it’s important for the board to see what’s working when it comes to improving attendance. “I commend Baldwin Community Schools, Baldwin families and the entire community for improving attendance,” she said. “Baldwin has socioeconomic challenges, like many communities do, and is showing that when everyone works together and uses research-based strategies, schools can improve attendance so students can graduate and make their dreams a reality.”

MDE officials also shared with State Board of Education members recent actions the department has taken to help school districts improve attendance, as well as future plans.

In July, MDE released Student Attendance and Engagement Guidance. This guidance is designed to help educators, school and district leaders and community partners use a systematic approach to prevent chronic absenteeism and to proactively address potential barriers to attendance.

On Feb. 5, 2027, the department will hold a virtual Student Attendance & Engagement Summit designed for intermediate school district, district and school staff who are involved in or dedicated to improving student attendance. It will feature insights from national, state, intermediate school district and local experts on strategies to engage students, improve attendance, reduce chronic absenteeism and strengthen attendance initiatives statewide.

MDE also has plans this school year to analyze Michigan’s attendance data to identify districts with the greatest need for additional support to improve attendance and to examine the connection between attendance and student outcomes in Michigan.

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