How One District Transformed Attendance Through Data-Driven Communication

When Roseville City School District faced rising chronic absenteeism rates following the pandemic, they knew traditional approaches wouldn’t be enough. Through a strategic partnership with SchoolStatus Attend, they achieved what many consider impossible: reducing chronic absenteeism to 7.75% district-wide, with improvements across all demographic groups.

In a recent webinar, Erin Peterson, Director of Educational Services at Roseville City School District, shared how they transformed their attendance rates through systematic data analysis and strategic family communication. Their journey offers valuable insights for districts facing similar challenges.

The Challenge: Moving Beyond Traditional Attendance Tracking

The attendance crisis facing schools today runs deeper than most realize. “Our latest research reveals that only 37% of districts regularly communicate with families about attendance. Most take a reactive approach, reaching out only after absences occur,” explains Dr. Kara Stern, Director of Education and Engagement at SchoolStatus. “While 81% of educators believe targeted family engagement strategies could significantly reduce chronic absenteeism, many lack the tools to implement these strategies effectively.”

Like many districts nationwide, Roseville City struggled with this disconnect. Their team spent countless hours manually generating attendance letters, often with inconsistent results. Without real-time data access, they couldn’t effectively identify trends or monitor intervention success. Most importantly, they lacked the tools to build meaningful partnerships with families around attendance.

The Solution: Data-Driven Family Communication

The transformation began when Roseville implemented SchoolStatus Attend, establishing a comprehensive system that changed how they approach attendance. Instead of relying on manual processes and reactive measures, they created a proactive, data-driven approach to family communication.

Real-Time Insights Drive Early Action

The impact of real-time data access was immediate. Principals and teachers could now monitor attendance patterns daily, identifying concerns before they became chronic issues. This early warning system—combined with automated communication tools—enabled the district to reach out to families at the first sign of attendance challenges.

Building District-Wide Coherence

One of the most powerful changes came from establishing district-wide coherence in attendance practices. All 21 school sites now follow consistent protocols for tracking attendance and communicating with families. This systematic approach ensures every family receives timely, relevant communication about their child’s attendance.

The Power of Strategic Communication

Perhaps the most significant shift came in how the district approaches family communication. Rather than simply sending automated absence notifications, they developed a comprehensive communication strategy. The “Every Day Matters” campaign creates consistent, positive messaging about attendance across all channels, from social media to parent conferences.

Measurable Impact Across All Demographics

The results speak for themselves. As Peterson shares, 

“Our coherent and focused messaging, conferences to partner with families, community and proactive outreach, and targeted campaign is showing its effectiveness to support students and families with coming to school.”

These improvements weren’t limited to a few successful schools—all 21 sites in the district showed significant progress, demonstrating the scalability of their approach. Particularly noteworthy are the gains among English Language Learners, where chronic absenteeism dropped from 13% to 7%. 

Key Components of Success

The foundation of Roseville’s success lies in their strategic use of SchoolStatus Attend’s comprehensive toolset. The platform’s automated letter generation ensures timely, consistent communication, while real-time dashboards enable proactive intervention. Most importantly, the integrated communication tools help build stronger family partnerships.

The impact of this approach is particularly evident in their family conferences, which show a 49.6% improvement in attendance following these data-informed discussions. By combining clear data insights with structured communication protocols, these conferences transformed from potentially challenging conversations into productive partnerships with families.

Building Your Own Success Story

Roseville’s transformation demonstrates that with the right tools and strategies, significant attendance improvements are possible. SchoolStatus Attend provides the comprehensive solution districts need to monitor attendance patterns in real time, automate communication workflows, track intervention effectiveness, and build stronger family partnerships.

Learn More

Ready to transform attendance in your district? Watch our on-demand webinar featuring Erin Peterson from Roseville City School District to learn more about their systematic approach to improving attendance through data-driven family communication.

Want to see how SchoolStatus Attend can help your district achieve similar results? Schedule a demo today.