Portland Public Schools officials are making a concerted effort to improve the district’s attendance rate.
Last winter, PPS officials sourced student-level data to better understand what brings students to school, and weighed those responses against national data to build recommendations to improve attendance. Results showed students were more motivated to attend school often if they had access to engaging education and felt a sense of belonging.
The district is tackling engagement in the classroom as part of literacy and math goals, so its central attendance team has focused on teaching students about emotional regulation, improving teacher-student relationships, and boosting school safety. (This year’s student survey saw a spike in students saying they don’t go to school because they’re worried about safety.)…