Measuring Daily Attendance and Participation During COVID-19 – An Invaluable Tool for Reducing Educational Inequity

“Until new research examining absenteeism in blended or distance learning settings can be conducted, we advise continuing to monitor which and how many students miss 10% or more of “learning opportunities.” A learning opportunity is an instructional or learning activity that takes place in person or during synchronous or asynchronous distance learning. Attendance should be taken for each learning opportunity and absence rates calculated by dividing the total number of missed learning opportunities by the total number of learning opportunities offered. ” Attendance Works

For example, in one week of school, a student has the opportunity to participate in twenty learning opportunities: ten synchronous distance learning sessions, six in-person sessions, and the submission of four asynchronous assignments. Missing three of these would mean missing fifteen percent. This is similar to tracking secondary school period attendance in many districts. Read Article