How This School District Cut Chronic Absenteeism 40% with Naomi Tolentino Miranda

Olivia Wahl

19 May 2025

Learn how this school district cut chronic absenteeism by 40% through community outreach and building connectedness. Find out the attendance solutions they implemented to make a positive impact on school attendance. In this powerful final episode, Naomi Tolentino Miranda, Coordinator of Student Support Programs with Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, shares how to shift from punitive to proactive approaches when addressing chronic absenteeism - a crisis affecting 1 in 4 students nationwide. Naomi shares research-backed strategies for understanding the "why" behind each student's absence and building school connectedness through trauma-informed practices. Learn how creating welcoming school environments empowers families to share their challenges and collaborate on personalized solutions. This conversation reveals why data isn't something to fear but a powerful tool that helps identify hidden patterns and tailor interventions for different communities. Naomi explains how her innovative attendance dashboard transformed her district's approach, moving beyond average daily attendance to address the deeper issues of chronic absenteeism. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or caregiver, you'll gain actionable insights to help every student feel connected, supported, and motivated to attend school. 💫Episode mentions  Attend to AchieveOne Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a TimeAttendance Works - Hedy ChanReporting on Chronic AbsenceChronic Absence Research and GraphicsDr. Robert (Bob) BalfanzCentering School Connectedness JHU School of Education Center for Educational Policy Research at Harvard UniversityCalculating a Student’s Daily AttendanceChapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview  01:00 Meet Naomi Tolentino Miranda  02:58 Key Research and Researchers on Absenteeism  05:44 Defining Chronic Absenteeism: Beyond Truancy  08:39 Student Barriers Across Grade Levels  11:42 Moving from Punitive to Proactive Approaches  13:26 The Importance of Finding the "Why"  16:58 Individualizing Solutions for Student Needs  19:12 Creating Welcoming Spaces for Parents 22:03 Empowering Parent Voice  23:55 The Power of Data: Creating an Attendance Dashboard  27:30 Why Data Should Be a Tool, Not a Threat  29:33 Final Thoughts: Every Student Has Different Needs  31:08 Episode Wrap-Up #ChronicAbsenteeism #TraumaInformedEducation #SchoolAttendance #EducationReform #StudentSuccess #DataDrivenEducation #SchoolConnectedness #ParentEmpowerment #EducatorResources #EveryStudentMatters When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.