How Tiered Supports Reduced Chronic Absenteeism at a New Jersey High School

Chronic absenteeism—missing 10 percent or more of the school year—is a growing crisis that negatively affects academic, social, and economic outcomes. Studies indicate that national chronic absenteeism averages have risen to around 26 percent, up from a decade-long average of 15 percent prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Three years ago, Sean Brophy was named principal and I was named vice principal of Keansburg High School (KHS). As a new leadership team, we faced a daunting situation: The state of New Jersey had identified KHS as a school needing comprehensive support based on its test scores, graduation rate, and attendance. KHS’s data mirrored national trends, albeit at higher levels; our chronic absenteeism rates were more than 30 percent from 2010 to 2020 and spiked to 40 percent postpandemic. 

Like many schools serving diverse populations, KHS has faced challenges around socioeconomic disparities, postpandemic disruptions, and transient student populations. Principal Brophy and I set out to address these challenges via a heterogeneous and structured approach. Over the last three years, we’ve made notable strides in reducing chronic absenteeism rates. Though there’s been some trial-and-error, we’ve found success through the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which includes a variation of a program first developed at the University of Minnesota that provides personalized assistance to a select group of students.

Here are the tiered steps we employed, which we believe are scalable and effective for improving attendance and student outcomes at other schools as well.

Tier 1: Universal Supports

Starting with the 2022–23 school year, we launched an attendance awareness campaign intended to educate students, families, and stakeholders about chronic absenteeism and the possible repercussions of missing extended time. This information was given to students at all meetings and in every classroom. It was also embedded in the hallways and sent to families through virtual postcards and pamphlets. Our Tier 1 outreach was aided by two tremendous nonprofits: Attendance Works, which offers various research and resources, and TalkingPoints, which features a multilingual messaging system that can translate communications between teachers and families. 

Additionally, we conducted a yearlong professional development focused on student engagement so teachers could create more inviting classroom environments. We regularly monitored attendance data, and we provided social and emotional learning for our students to remove potential mental health barriers to attendance. 

Tier 2: Targeted Supports

Tier 2 support systems were reserved for students with more than 10 absences at any point during the school year. We employed small group interventions, and parental involvement was initiated through meetings with the school attendance team. These meetings further enhanced the partnership between teachers and families.

After our first year of structural changes, we caught on to a number of limitations with Tiers 1 and 2. The biggest limitation we faced was the infrequency with which we were directly targeting students. We were speaking to them as part of a group, or family, but rarely on an individual basis, as the young adults that they are. 

We decided to add a Tier 3 approach for students who did not respond to Tier 2 interventions—something that would provide comprehensive support for our most at-risk young adults. After studying various options that have helped alleviate chronic absenteeism, we chose to roll out a version of the Check and Connect program, developed by the University of Minnesota.

Tier 3: Titan Connect

Having previously served as a head football coach who maintained near-constant contact with students about practice, fundraising, and scheduling, I wondered why similar methods couldn’t be employed in an academic setting. I set out to create a program that would do just that. We arrived at the Titan Connect program name by combining our school mascot, the Titans, with the Check and Connect descriptor. 

At the onset of the 2023–24 school year, our goal for Titan Connect was to leverage our staff’s tremendous relationships with students and shift away from traditional, punitive means of dealing with absenteeism. Titan Connect targeted students positively and directly. 

We recruited 11 teacher volunteers who wished to participate in the inaugural Titan Connect program. Then, we identified 50 students who had been chronically absent the previous year; administrators spent time interviewing these students to assess the underlying causes of their absenteeism. We made it clear to students that they could opt out of Titan Connect at any time and that parental consent was required to participate in the program in the first place. In all, 17 students declined to participate, and 33 did participate. The program finished its inaugural school year with 30 students because three students transferred schools. No one who remained at KHS opted out.

The students who opted in chose a mentor from the list of participating teachers. Those teachers sent daily text communications to students via third-party platforms like Google Voice and Remind101. These messages were intended to be warm and relationship-building. Here are some examples:

• “Looking forward to seeing you in school today!”
• “We have an exciting day ahead—pep rally during 8th period!”
• “I missed you yesterday; I hope to see you today!”

Mentors also checked in with students during the school day.

Promising Results

Taken in totality, the first two years of the MTSS program yielded encouraging outcomes. 

During the 2022–23 school year, our Tier 1 and Tier 2 support systems reduced chronic absenteeism by 10 percent. 

During the 2023–24 school year, a continuation of the MTSS Tier 1 and Tier 2 framework—as well as the introduction of Titan Connect—resulted in another 10 percent reduction in chronic absenteeism, bringing KHS rates below pre-pandemic levels. The Tier 3 Titan Connect program reduced absenteeism during the 2023–24 school year for 15 of the 30 participating students, many of whom exited chronic absenteeism status entirely.

As we approach the midway point of the 2024–25 school year, our efforts to address chronic absenteeism are still a top priority. While our Tier 1 strategies remain consistent, our professional development now emphasizes trauma-informed teaching practices. Tier 2 interventions also persist, with ongoing collaboration between parents and administrators to boost attendance.

Meanwhile, we’re building on the success of the Titan Connect program in its second year. This year, 10 mentors (including two newcomers) are guiding small groups of three to five students, each of whom is receiving individual attention. We’re optimistic about the program’s future, and we’re striving to align with state and national averages.