State leaders release recommendations to improve statewide student attendance
10/30/2023
Recently, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Supreme Court of Ohio Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Chris Woolard and other partners highlighted Ohio’s commitment to improving school attendance statewide during the Ohio Takes the Pledge to Stay in the Game! event held at the Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls. During the event, members of the Ohio Attendance Taskforce announced recommendations to improve school attendance and reduce chronic absence.
These recommendations will help schools and districts implement effective prevention and early intervention strategies to improve attendance and decrease chronic absenteeism. Chronic absence is defined in Ohio as a student missing 10% or more of school hours. In the 2022-2023 school year, Ohio’s chronic absence rate was 26.8%, meaning more than 615,000 students in the state were chronically absent.
The event also included members of the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, a statewide initiative led by the Cleveland Browns Foundation, the Columbus Crew, Proving Ground at Harvard University, and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The Ohio Attendance Taskforce includes current superintendents and building principals, business and foundation leaders, members of the Ohio juvenile court system, and experts in attendance and engagement.
Read more about the Ohio Takes the Pledge to Stay in the Game! event.