Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Amen M. Rahh, KnowlejFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Knowlej

First Presenter’s Email Address

principalrahh@knowlej.io

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Amen Rahh, better known as Principal Rahh, is an award-winning educator and innovative leader from Compton, California. He is the founder of University Pathways Public Service Academy, where he achieved groundbreaking results, including zero fights, zero suspensions, and a 100% graduation rate. His book, *Revolutionary School Culture: The 6 Principles of Unlocking Your School’s Hidden Treasure,* became an Amazon bestseller. Rahh is also the founder of Revolutionary Education, a consulting firm that empowers schools to adopt transformative practices, and Knowlej, an AI-powered edtech platform that incentivizes students to learn by offering personalized rewards. Known for his dynamic speaking engagements, Rahh's work focuses on re-engaging the most disengaged students and preparing them for success in the new labor market. His commitment to revolutionizing education is driven by his passion for creating opportunities for underserved communities.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal on behalf of the presenter(s)

Location

Sloane

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

The proposal "Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement" directly impacts both academic achievement and leadership by addressing the foundational elements that contribute to student success in schools.

Academic Achievement: By improving attendance, students are more consistently present in class, which increases their opportunity to engage in learning, complete assignments, and develop academically. The principles focus on creating an inclusive and engaging environment, which enhances students' motivation to attend school regularly. Connecting academic content to students' interests and using data to identify absenteeism patterns ensures that every student’s unique needs are addressed, fostering an equitable learning experience that supports higher academic achievement.

Leadership: The proposal emphasizes empowering school leaders and staff to create a strong, supportive culture around attendance. By focusing on effective leadership, the workshop ensures that staff members model positive behaviors, use restorative practices to re-engage absent students, and collaborate with families and communities. Leadership is critical in addressing the root causes of absenteeism, setting clear expectations, and building relationships with students that encourage consistent school attendance, ultimately creating a school-wide commitment to equitable engagement and academic success.

The framework outlined in this proposal fosters both academic growth and leadership development, ensuring that schools can create a culture where every student has the opportunity to succeed through equitable practices.

Brief Program Description

"Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement" provides educators with a comprehensive framework to transform attendance culture. Through equity-focused strategies, participants will learn how to address chronic absenteeism, empower leadership, apply restorative practices, engage students, leverage data, and strengthen family partnerships to ensure every student feels valued and motivated to succeed.

Summary

The presentation "Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement" offers a practical, actionable model that educators can immediately implement to transform their school’s attendance culture. Centered on equity and inclusion, the workshop introduces six key principles that equip participants with strategies to address chronic absenteeism and create an environment where every student is motivated to attend regularly.

The model begins with **Setting the Stage**, which focuses on creating an inviting and inclusive school environment. Participants will learn how to establish clear expectations around attendance and cultivate a welcoming atmosphere that makes students feel safe, respected, and eager to be present.

The second principle, **Empowering Leadership**, emphasizes the importance of staff modeling positive behavior and fostering strong relationships with students. Participants will take home strategies for building a leadership team committed to addressing the root causes of absenteeism and promoting a school-wide attendance vision.

**Building a Restorative Community** provides participants with restorative practices that help re-engage students who have missed school by repairing relationships and addressing personal or systemic barriers to attendance. Participants will learn to foster trust and reintegration.

In **Creating an Engaging Culture**, participants will explore ways to connect academic content to students’ interests and lives, making school relevant and engaging. Practical takeaways include strategies to make students feel that their presence is noticed and valuable.

**Utilizing Data for Equity** teaches participants how to use data to identify absenteeism patterns and develop targeted interventions, ensuring attendance initiatives are equitable and responsive to student needs.

Finally, **Strengthening Family and Community Partnerships** emphasizes building strong support networks with families and local organizations to address external factors contributing to absenteeism.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear set of tools and methods to improve attendance, strengthen leadership, and foster an inclusive, equitable school environment.

Evidence

### Research, References, and Resources Supporting the Proposal

1. **Chronic Absenteeism and Its Impact on Academic Achievement** - Research from Attendance Works (2018) demonstrates that students who are chronically absent—defined as missing 10% or more of school days—are at higher risk for academic failure, dropping out of school, and lower achievement levels. - Balfanz & Byrnes (2012) reported that chronic absenteeism is a leading indicator of academic struggles, especially for students from low-income and minority backgrounds, highlighting the need for equitable solutions.

2. **Restorative Practices in Schools** - The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) has produced studies showing that restorative approaches reduce absenteeism by promoting a positive school climate. Gregory et al. (2016) found that restorative practices help build relationships, increase student engagement, and reduce disciplinary incidents, including absences. - Evidence from Oakland Unified School District’s Restorative Justice Program shows a 24% reduction in chronic absenteeism, providing evidence that relationship-based solutions work (Jain, Bassey, Brown, & Kalra, 2014).

3. **The Role of Family and Community Engagement** - Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement (1995) outlines how family and community partnerships can promote student attendance and academic achievement. Research from the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) supports the effectiveness of engaging families in students’ education, especially in addressing absenteeism.

4. **Data-Driven Approaches to Attendance** - Research from the Every Student, Every Day initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, shows that data-driven strategies that target at-risk students improve attendance rates. Schools that implement early-warning systems, which flag absentee patterns, have seen significant improvements in student attendance (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012).

### Evidence of Field-Tested Effectiveness

1. **Oakland Unified School District (Restorative Justice Program)** - After implementing restorative practices as part of their attendance intervention, Oakland Unified saw a 50% drop in suspensions and significant improvements in attendance. By focusing on re-engaging students through restorative approaches, the program has been widely regarded as a successful field-tested solution.

2. **New York City Community Schools** - A community schools initiative in New York City, which integrates family and community engagement, restorative practices, and data-driven strategies, reduced chronic absenteeism by 7.3% across participating schools. The initiative’s holistic approach aligns with the proposed model, showcasing the practical effectiveness of these principles in real school settings.

3. **Every Student, Every Day Initiative** - Schools participating in the Every Student, Every Day initiative have demonstrated a 10% increase in overall attendance by utilizing data to identify absentee patterns and implement targeted interventions. This supports the use of data-driven strategies as an essential tool in addressing absenteeism.

These references and field-tested approaches provide a robust foundation for the "Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement" proposal. They demonstrate that using an equity-focused, restorative, data-driven, and community-based approach can significantly reduce chronic absenteeism and improve academic outcomes.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to implement equity-focused strategies to create an inclusive and engaging school environment that encourages regular attendance.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to utilize restorative practices to address absenteeism by repairing relationships and reintegrating students who have missed school.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to analyze attendance data to identify patterns of absenteeism and develop targeted interventions that promote equitable engagement.

Keyword Descriptors

Equitable engagement, chronic absenteeism, restorative practices, school attendance, leadership empowerment, family partnerships, inclusive education, data-driven interventions, student re-engagement, academic achievement.

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-3-2025 1:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Rahh, Amen M., "Revolutionizing School Attendance: The 6 Principles for Equitable Engagement" (2025). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 16.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2025/2025/16