Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance ar... more Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance are more likely to face challenges later in school and in life. This study tested four versions of an adaptive text messaging strategy to see which, if any, would reduce chronic absence among 26,000 elementary school students. During the fall of the study year, families randomly assigned to one of the text messaging groups received "basic" messaging, which consisted of low-cost, low-burden weekly reminders about the importance of attendance and same-day notifications when their children missed school. In the spring, messages were "adapted": parents of students with few absences continued with the basic messaging, while parents of students who were frequently absent in the fall received additional intensified messaging. The study compared two approaches to basic messaging and two approaches to intensified messaging, to learn how a texting strategy might work best. Students in the messaging groups were compared to students whose parents received no messages to rigorously assess whether the messaging improved attendance and achievement. Key Findings All four versions of the adaptive text messaging strategy reduced chronic absence. The messaging lowered the expected chronic absence rate of 20.5 percent for students overall by 2.4 to 3.6 percentage points. For students with a prior history of high absence, the messaging lowered the expected chronic absence rate of 47.1 percent by 3.5 to 7.3 percentage points. The two approaches to basic messaging were similarly effective at reducing chronic absence, but one approach to intensified messaging was better than the other for certain students. The two approaches to basic messaging compared whether it was better to focus on the benefits of attending school or the consequences of being absent-the study found both approaches were equally effective. But intensified messaging that involved school staff directly texting parents reduced chronic absence rates in the spring more than the other more automated intensified approach, for students with a prior history of high absences. The text messaging strategy did not improve achievement. Although the four versions of adaptive text messaging improved student attendance, they did not improve reading or mathematics achievement during the study year for students in Grades 3 through 5. Almost 4 million elementary school students were chronically absent during the 2015-2016 school year. 1 Chronic absence is typically defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days. Missing this much school in early grades is linked with lower reading and math achievement by Grade 3 and higher absenteeism in middle and high school. 2 In addition, chronically absent students are at greater risk of dropping out of high school, 3 using drugs and alcohol, and engaging in crime. 4 Schools need cost-effective strategies to improve student attendance. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia hold schools accountable for improving rates of chronic absence as part of high-stakes accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). However, programs that have had positive effects on attendance, such as Success Mentors and the Early Truancy Prevention Project, tend to be expensive. 5 One low-cost way to improve attendance in early grades may be to use text messages. Research has shown that informing parents about their child's attendance through periodic letters and postcards can reduce chronic absence, but findings are limited for texting. 6 Texting is of particular interest because it has been effective in
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
In 2 cross-sectional studies, adolescent, middle-age, and older adults were asked to describe the... more In 2 cross-sectional studies, adolescent, middle-age, and older adults were asked to describe their personal projects and give reasons for their involvement in them. These purposes were then coded into 4 motivational categories. The motive to acquire, the ...
Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance ar... more Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance are more likely to face challenges later in school and in life. This study tested four versions of an adaptive text messaging strategy to see which, if any, would reduce chronic absence among 26,000 elementary school students. During the fall of the study year, families randomly assigned to one of the text messaging groups received "basic" messaging, which consisted of low-cost, low-burden weekly reminders about the importance of attendance and same-day notifications when their children missed school. In the spring, messages were "adapted": parents of students with few absences continued with the basic messaging, while parents of students who were frequently absent in the fall received additional intensified messaging. The study compared two approaches to basic messaging and two approaches to intensified messaging, to learn how a texting strategy might work best. Students in the messaging groups were compared to students whose parents received no messages to rigorously assess whether the messaging improved attendance and achievement. Key Findings All four versions of the adaptive text messaging strategy reduced chronic absence. The messaging lowered the expected chronic absence rate of 20.5 percent for students overall by 2.4 to 3.6 percentage points. For students with a prior history of high absence, the messaging lowered the expected chronic absence rate of 47.1 percent by 3.5 to 7.3 percentage points. The two approaches to basic messaging were similarly effective at reducing chronic absence, but one approach to intensified messaging was better than the other for certain students. The two approaches to basic messaging compared whether it was better to focus on the benefits of attending school or the consequences of being absent-the study found both approaches were equally effective. But intensified messaging that involved school staff directly texting parents reduced chronic absence rates in the spring more than the other more automated intensified approach, for students with a prior history of high absences. The text messaging strategy did not improve achievement. Although the four versions of adaptive text messaging improved student attendance, they did not improve reading or mathematics achievement during the study year for students in Grades 3 through 5. Almost 4 million elementary school students were chronically absent during the 2015-2016 school year. 1 Chronic absence is typically defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days. Missing this much school in early grades is linked with lower reading and math achievement by Grade 3 and higher absenteeism in middle and high school. 2 In addition, chronically absent students are at greater risk of dropping out of high school, 3 using drugs and alcohol, and engaging in crime. 4 Schools need cost-effective strategies to improve student attendance. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia hold schools accountable for improving rates of chronic absence as part of high-stakes accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). However, programs that have had positive effects on attendance, such as Success Mentors and the Early Truancy Prevention Project, tend to be expensive. 5 One low-cost way to improve attendance in early grades may be to use text messages. Research has shown that informing parents about their child's attendance through periodic letters and postcards can reduce chronic absence, but findings are limited for texting. 6 Texting is of particular interest because it has been effective in
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student ... more Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools.
In 2 cross-sectional studies, adolescent, middle-age, and older adults were asked to describe the... more In 2 cross-sectional studies, adolescent, middle-age, and older adults were asked to describe their personal projects and give reasons for their involvement in them. These purposes were then coded into 4 motivational categories. The motive to acquire, the ...
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