The Smart Teacher's Guide to AI-Powered Planning This Summer
🕵️ PD Intelligencer - May 31 2025
5 min read
Rebecca Barron : May 10, 2025 2:00:00 AM
LINKS FOR YOU
🤖 5 Teacher-Tested AI Tools for Beginners - Discover classroom-ready AI tools that simplify tech integration and enhance knowledge without the steep learning curve.
📚 Politics, Pressure, and Poor Sources: History Teachers Have It Tough These Days - Teach American history effectively despite political tensions, limited resources, and the upcoming 250th anniversary.
🔄 A Restorative Alternative to Out-of-School Suspensions - Strengthen school communities with interventions that keep students engaged and learning.
🏞️ Want to Enhance Project-Based Learning? Teach Like a Park Ranger - Enhance your classroom with ranger-inspired techniques for natural curiosity and connection.
🌟 How to Bounce Back From a Lesson Flop - Transform teaching missteps into powerful learning opportunities with practical recovery strategies.
GRANTS FOR PD
📚 FY26 Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant - Funding to strengthen comprehensive literacy instruction across the state (OR)
🧩 2024-2025 Early Childhood Professional Development - Grants for restorative practices training to enhance communication, conflict resolution, and more (TX)
🎨 FL FY26 Specific Cultural Project Grant (Division of Arts and Culture) - Support for artistic learning and creative development in classrooms through innovative cultural education initiatives and experiences (FL)
💻 Computer Science Incentive Fund ENDORSEMENTS (FY25) - K-12 funding for professional development to support high-quality computer science teaching (IA)
🌐 Title III Limited English Proficient - Grants to help ELLs and immigrant students master language skills while meeting academic standards (AZ)
JOBS
🏃♀️ Health/Physical Education Teacher - Inspire healthy lifestyles and wellness habits in students at Hamilton Township School District (NJ)
🍎 K-5 Elementary Teacher - Shape the mathematical minds of elementary students at Union School District, where innovation and community support thrive (CA)
📚 ELA/Social Studies Teacher - Connect literature with history while fostering critical thinking and communication skills at Souderton Area School District (PA)
🌎 Spanish Dual Language Teacher - Foster bilingual fluency and multicultural understanding at Vancouver Public Schools (WA)
🎓 High School Principal, Noblesville High School - Lead an educational community where excellence, innovation, and student growth thrive collaboratively (IN)
ONE BIG IDEA
Chronic absenteeism - missing just 10% of school days for any reason - affects an alarming 16 million students nationwide (1 in 3), more than double pre-pandemic levels.
Unlike truancy, which only tracks unexcused absences, persistent absenteeism captures all missed instructional time, whether from illness, suspensions, or other causes.
For a typical 180-day school year, that's merely 18 days absent-roughly two days per month-yet the consequences are profound.
By 9th grade, attendance proves a stronger predictor of dropout rates than 8th-grade test scores, and students chronically absent in early grades are substantially less likely to read proficiently by third grade.
Chronic absenteeism doesn't just affect missing students—it transforms entire classroom dynamics.
Teachers often slow instruction to help returning students catch up, reducing learning time for everyone.
Research from the U.S. Department of Education confirms that having chronically absent classmates measurably reduces math and reading achievement across the class.
The consequences extend further: schools face financial penalties through attendance-based funding formulas, while absent students miss critical social connections that support mental health and academic engagement.
These patterns establish early-kindergarteners who are chronically absent typically show lower achievement scores through 5th grade, even if their attendance later improves.
When it comes to improving attendance, classroom teachers are on the front lines.
You don't need to overhaul your entire practice or add hours to your already full schedule.
Small, consistent actions can make a meaningful difference in creating a classroom environment where students want to be present.
The National Center for Education Statistics found that students who report having positive relationships with their teachers are 30% less likely to be frequently absent.
With that in mind, here are five evidence-based strategies you can implement immediately:
1. Strengthen Your Morning Welcome
Data consistently shows that positive adult relationships significantly impact attendance.
Make a point to personally greet each student by name at the door. For students returning from absences, add a simple "I'm glad you're back today!" These brief interactions signal that each student's presence matters and establish a positive start to the day.
Students who feel welcomed and valued are far more likely to attend regularly.
2. Establish an "Absence Buddy" Network
Pair students to collect materials and take notes for each other during absences. This peer support system not only helps returning students catch up but also strengthens social connections that motivate attendance.
As one teacher told Attendance Works, "Kids come because someone is expecting them."
The buddy can also help reintegrate the returning student into classroom activities, reducing the social awkwardness that often accompanies absences.
3. Design Clear Catch-Up Pathways
Develop a consistent system for returning students to identify what they missed and how to catch up.
This might be a dedicated folder, a brief check-in process, or a designated time for support.
PowerSchool recommends making this process predictable and supportive rather than punitive.
Consider creating a simple one-page "While You Were Out" sheet that summarizes key concepts, assignments, and upcoming assessments, rather than overwhelming returning students with a stack of missed worksheets and no context.
4. Spot Attendance Patterns
Create a simple tracking system to identify not just how many absences occur but when they happen.
Do certain students regularly miss Mondays or Fridays?
Are absences clustered around specific events or assignments?
These trends can reveal underlying causes and inform targeted interventions.
For example, if you notice absences increasing before major assessments, you might need to address test anxiety or provide additional academic support.
5. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
Rather than recognizing only perfect attendance (which disadvantages students with legitimate health issues or family responsibilities), celebrate improved attendance. Acknowledge students who have shown progress, and consider class-wide goals that build collective responsibility.
PowerSchool suggests creating attendance charts that track class-wide progress toward attendance goals, with small celebrations when milestones are reached.
Many families don't realize that missing just two days per month can derail a student's educational journey.
In fact, while 98% of parents believe school attendance is important, nearly half don't connect early absences with reading difficulties.
Successful family engagement starts with positive, solution-focused communication:
Addressing ongoing attendance challenges requires moving beyond compliance and consequences toward creating environments where attendance is expected, supported, and celebrated.
Three key steps to promote this culture shift:
1. Listen to student voices: Conduct brief surveys asking what would make students more excited to come to school, then use these insights to enhance engagement.
2. Leverage community resources: Partner with your school counselor to identify local services addressing transportation, healthcare, and other common barriers
3. Share and scale successes: Document what works in your classroom and advocate for school-wide adoption, creating consistent expectations across all learning environments
Remember, improving attendance isn't about perfect numbers—it's about fostering relationships that make school a place where every student feels valued, supported, and eager to participate each day.
By implementing even a few of these strategies, you can make a significant difference in your students' attendance patterns and, ultimately, their educational outcomes.
Alludo - we have helped district leaders across the country increase capacity in thousands of schools by successfully delivering millions of evidence-based professional learning lessons to their educators and staff members.
See you next Saturday!
Rebecca
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