The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s School Attendance Improvement Toolkit equips educators, child welfare professionals, and legal partners with a holistic framework for addressing attendance and truancy. It emphasizes shifting from compliance-based truancy responses to a broader focus on chronic absenteeism, grounded in the three pillars of Attendance, Attachment, and Achievement as identified by the National Center for School Engagement. Included are downloadable templates—such as School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) and conference agendas—for structured School Attendance Improvement Conferences that engage students, families, schools, and community stakeholders collaboratively. The toolkit also offers guidance on trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, family engagement strategies, and pathways for supporting high-risk student groups including migrants, young parents, and those experiencing homelessness. Prevention professionals will find actionable tools to build cross-sector partnerships, implement data-driven interventions, and foster environments where regular attendance supports both academic and social-emotional growth.

Pennsylvania Department of Education