Showing Up to Learn

President's Corner

Across the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a substantial slide in student attendance and achievement. Achievement gaps widened during the pandemic and have not yet closed in many districts. Our students with the greatest needs suffered the greatest harm.

Attendance and achievement are interrelated. Students’ academic achievement and sense of belonging suffer when they are chronically absent, and students who are struggling academically or social-emotionally may be demotivated to attend school.

Regular, on-time attendance is an important life skill that helps students succeed in school, graduate on time and be prepared for life. Research shows that children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are far less likely to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade. By 6th grade, absenteeism is one sign that a student may drop out of school. By 9th grade, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation than 8th-grade test scores.

We want our schools to be places where students develop meaningful relationships that help them learn and grow. To forge connections and achieve their potential, students need to show up for school. And to want to come to school, students need to know they are safe and welcome, supported to succeed and engaged in their learning.

Pandemic relief funding helped districts hire more school staff to provide student supports. These funds are now expiring, yet our students’ needs have not expired. Many schools are left struggling to re-engage students and get learning back on track.

As school leaders, we take ownership of everything we’re responsible for, starting with student achievement. Regardless of the fiscal landscape, our school systems have the moral obligation to ensure each student’s educational needs are met. I have never met an administrator who shied away from this responsibility.

To close our opportunity and achievement gaps and ensure students stay engaged in school and move forward academically, districts must identify, collect, analyze and act on relevant data, including attendance, assessment, demographics and resource allocation.

Using data to inform instruction is not new, but the importance of using data thoughtfully and with clear intent throughout the school year can become lost in the myriad of other initiatives educators address daily.

Districts should have intentional mechanisms in place to ensure grade-level teams, content teams and administrative teams access and use data to develop strategies to meet the needs of students throughout the year, including just-in-time academic interventions and extensions. Student data should flow seamlessly and serve as a foundation for the school improvement strategies required to close gaps among groups of students and raise achievement for all.

Establishing a data team of administrators, teachers, instructional coaches, intervention specialists and others to analyze and share data can be beneficial. Staff training in how to collect, assess and leverage student data is essential. It should be included in the onboarding process for new staff and annual in-service opportunities for continuing staff.

Students can and should be a part of this journey — setting their goals, tracking their progress and providing perspectives regarding data trends. With student participation comes a sense of ownership and empowerment.

A culture of data-driven improvement doesn’t just happen. District leaders must model data-based decision making and lead a focused effort to engage staff in coordinated data collection, analysis and action to get students to school, address their learning needs and provide more equitable and supportive learning environments.

By using high-quality data, promoting a culture of data-driven decision making and engaging students in their educational journey, school districts can move forward in our mission to provide a quality education for all students despite the loss of federal funding.

Gustavo Balderas is AASA president in 2024-25.