Sep 11, 2026
School Leaders,
About a month into the school year, patterns are beginning to emerge—including which students are already struggling to get to school consistently.
This week on the IASP Advocacy Podcast, I'm talking about chronic absenteeism, the barriers that keep students from school, and what school leaders can do about them.
With attendance now factoring into Indiana's accountability model, there's certainly additional urgency around this issue. But accountability isn't the most important reason attendance matters. We can invest in great curriculum, instruction, interventions, programs, and people—but students have to be there to benefit from them.
💡 A Timely Opportunity: Lilly Endowment's Opportunity to Learn Project
If your school or district is working to address non-academic barriers to student success, don't miss the Opportunity to Learn Project.
Eligible Indiana public school corporations, charter schools, and charter networks outside Marion County can apply for planning grants of $50,000–$100,000 to better understand and develop solutions to non-academic barriers affecting students.
And you don't have to have the solution figured out yet—that's the purpose of the planning process.
The planning grant application deadline is September 15 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
➡️ Opportunity to Learn Project –
RFP & Application Information:
https://indianalifelonglearningprojects.org/opportunity-to-learn-project-rfp/
📚 Free Attendance Resources
As you look at your own attendance data, here are several free resources worth sharing with your team:
Indiana Department of Education –
Chronic Absenteeism Resources
Indiana-specific guidance, root-cause tools, tiered interventions,
family resources, and more.
https://www.in.gov/doe/chronic-absenteeism/
Attendance Works – Principal
Toolkit
Leading Attendance: A Toolkit for Principals includes
tools for building an attendance team, understanding your data,
engaging families, and developing a schoolwide strategy.
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/for-principals-leading-attendance/
Attendance Works – Attendance
Playbook
More than two dozen strategies for reducing chronic absence,
organized by tiers of intervention.
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/attendance-playbook/
Student Attendance Success
Plans
Ready-to-use tools that help students and families identify
barriers and develop a plan for getting to school consistently.
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/student-attendance-success-plans/
Attendance Works – Free Data Tools
Free tools and spreadsheets to help schools identify attendance
patterns and students who may need support.
https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/data-tools/