How This School District Cut Chronic Absenteeism 40% with Naomi Tolentino Miranda
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
05/19/25
•32m
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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 Achieve
- One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
- Attendance Works - Hedy Chan
- Dr. Robert (Bob) Balfanz
- Calculating a Student’s Daily Attendance
Chapters
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.
Previous Episode
In this bonus episode, I reflect on my conversation with journalist Tom Hayden about the PTA Equity Project (PEP) in Evanston, Illinois. This groundbreaking initiative pooled $650,000 from wealthy school PTAs to help underserved schools but revealed unexpected challenges in balancing equity with school autonomy.
🎓 What You'll Learn:
➡️Why good intentions don't guarantee good outcomes in education
➡️How to balance equity with local autonomy in schools
➡️The real challenges of centralized vs. local school funding
➡️5 key takeaways for sustainable equity initiatives
➡️Why universities and broader communities need to be part of the solution
📚 About This Episode: This reflection dives deep into the complex ripple effects of the Evanston experiment, from hidden fundraising to community tensions. I share personal experiences from teaching in wealthy and underserved schools, offering unique insights into funding disparities.
💡 Key Topics Covered:
✨The PTA Equity Project's successes and failures
✨Balancing centralized funding with school autonomy
✨Building sustainable equity initiatives
✨Community partnerships for educational equity
✨Real-world examples from San Diego and NYC schools
Chapters
00:00 Introduction & What You'll Learn
01:00 About the PTA Equity Project in Evanston
02:00 Implementation Challenges & Hidden Consequences
03:00 Balancing Equity with Local Autonomy
04:00 Five Key Takeaways from Evanston's Experience
05:00 Practical Implications for Communities
06:00 Personal Teaching Experiences & Universities' Role
07:00 Conclusion & Community Call to Action
#EducationalEquity #PTAFunding #SchoolFinance #EvanstonIllinois #TeachingStrategies #EducationPodcast #SchoolFunding #EquityInEducation #PublicSchools #EducationReform #SchoolAutonomy #CommunityPartnerships #PTAEquityProject #EducationalPolicy #TeacherResources #SchoolImprovement #EducationLeadership #EquityVsEquality #SustainableEducation #SchoolGovernance
Make sure to listen to my full interview with Tom (Season 4, Episode 36) before diving into this bonus content!
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.
New episodes are released every Monday, with a bonus solo episode on Fridays featuring research-backed coaching and teaching strategies you can apply right away to better serve the children in your care.
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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.
Next Episode
BONUS: School Attendance Reform That Works!
May 23, 2025
•16m
Learn about a school attendance reform that actually works! Discover strategies to combat chronic absenteeism and increase student engagement.
In this bonus episode, I discuss my conversation with Naomi Tolentino Miranda from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, about transforming student attendance through compassion, not punishment.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Why punitive attendance policies are failing our students
✅ The "We Missed You Today" strategy that works better than detention
✅ 5 practical interventions you can implement immediately
✅ Data-driven approaches to identify attendance patterns
✅ How sleep schedules impact high school attendance
✅ Building family partnerships that actually work
💫Episode Mentions:
- Attendance Works Infographic (Attendance in the Early Grades)
- Stay in the Game! Attendance Network
- The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop
- Attendance Works
- AAP's Earlier Bedtime and Its Effect on Adolescent Sleep Duration
- The Education Trust
- American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
💫Six Questions for Reflection:
- How does your school or district currently approach chronic absenteeism? Is it primarily punitive or preventative?
- What data are you collecting about attendance, and how are you using it to identify patterns and develop targeted interventions?
- How are you building and maintaining relationships with chronically absent students and their families?
- What barriers to attendance exist in your specific community, and how might you address them?
- How are you celebrating and recognizing improvements in attendance, even small ones?
- Most importantly, is your school a place worth showing up to for every student?
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: Shifting from Punitive to Preventive
01:00 - Meet Naomi Lenina Miranda & Her Transformative Work
02:00 - The Power of Preventative vs Punitive Approaches
03:00 - Success Stories: Stay in the Game Network Results
04:00 - 6 Key Barriers to Student Attendance
05:00 - Sleep & Attendance: The Biological Mismatch
06:00 - 5 Practical Strategies for Schools
07:00 - The Power of Data: Attendance Dashboards
08:00 - School Climate & Culture Impact 09:00 - Family Partnerships That Work
10:00 - The "We Missed You Today" Strategy
11:00 - Trauma-Informed Attendance Approaches
12:00 - Parent Voice in Systemic Change
13:00 - Making School Worth Showing Up To
14:00 - Reflection Questions for Your Context
15:00 - Closing & Call to Action
#ChronicAbsenteeism #StudentAttendance #EducationStrategy #SchoolLeadership #TraumaInformed #StudentSupport #AttendanceMatters #EducationPodcast
Make sure to listen to my full interview with Naomi (Season 4, Episode 37) before diving into this bonus content! (https://pod.fo/e/2d747f).
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.
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