Supporting Attendance Across Maricopa County: Valley of the Sun United Way
How an Arizona nonprofit is working collaboratively to combat chronic absenteeism
Valley of the Sun United Way views chronic absenteeism as an alarming yet solvable challenge that demands collaboration among schools, communities, and families. By leveraging data to identify and target specific interventions, Valley of the Sun United Way aims to address the root causes of absenteeism effectively.
In partnership with the statewide early literacy collaborative Read On Arizona, Valley of the Sun United Way is equipping educators across Maricopa County with the tools they need to tackle attendance issues. This effort focuses on professional development, capacity building, and fostering community collaboration through several key activities:
Key Initiatives to Combat Chronic Absenteeism
- Technical Assistance: Partnering with Attendance Works, a national leader in evidence-based strategies to reduce absenteeism and combat learning loss, to provide expert guidance and support.
- Task Force: Participating in the Arizona Chronic Absence Task Force that developed recommendations to improve school attendance. The task force also published a resource guide to serve as a roadmap for addressing attendance challenges.
- Learning Communities: Establishing learning communities composed of literacy hubs, schools with high absenteeism rates, and educational leaders. Participants engage in online professional development modules provided by Attendance Works, ensuring consistent access to best practices.
A grant from Helios Education Foundation helped amplify Valley of the Sun United Way’s work by adding critical elements like coaching and mentoring for schools and districts. This ensures the effective implementation of strategies learned through Attendance Works training. Schools receive guidance on using evidence-based practices and instituting systematic changes to address attendance issues before they escalate.
Over a three-year period, this partnership will deliver coaching and mentoring to more than 3,000 K-12 teachers and administrators across districts of varying sizes in Maricopa County.
Additionally, Valley of the Sun United Way launched the Attendance Matters awareness campaign at the start of the 2023–2024 school year. This campaign communicates the importance of consistent attendance and its impact on academic success. Through clear messaging, it equips parents and educators with the knowledge to prevent absenteeism and re-engage students.
Valley of the Sun United Way’s work ultimately aims to improve third grade reading proficiency rates, as missing too much school can significantly hinder the development of early literacy skills.
Partner spotlight originally published in "Still Missing Too Much School" research.