US Study Finds that Text Messages to Parents Can Reduce Chronic School Absences in Elementary School

A new federally funded report from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) suggests that texting parents may be an effective way to reduce chronic absence in elementary school. The study tested a messaging strategy that started with basic messages, and then “adapted” to provide additional intensified messaging for families whose children had more absences. The evaluation found that the adaptive messaging strategy improved attendance for all students, with the largest reductions in chronic absence for students who had a prior history of high absences.” Read article