AttendNC Counts
AttendNC (“Attendance”) Counts is statewide initiative led by NCDPI's Office of Research and Promising Practices to help reduce chronic absenteeism. Aligned with the goals of the Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, we bring together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to elevate promising attendance practices and drive data-informed improvement in student attendance and engagement.
The AttendNC Hub
AttendNC Counts is developing and curating North Carolina specific tools, resources, and professional learning that districts, schools, and community partners can adopt and adapt across local contexts. This website serves as the AttendNC Hub, hosting these supports and helping educators and partners connect attendance research to practical, implementable routines.
Practical tools translate what the research base suggests into daily and weekly routines schools and PSUs can actually run. These resources support consistent implementation of core attendance strategies, including proactive Tier 1 supports, targeted outreach for emerging risk, barrier reduction through coordinated supports, and continuous monitoring to adjust quickly.
Examples of tools and routines:
- Standardized attendance team workflows, including meeting cadence, agendas, documentation
- Early warning and prioritization supports (e.g., student risk flags, triage guides, follow-up timelines)
- Family engagement materials such as communication scripts, message templates, bilingual handouts
- Barrier problem-solving tools such as intake questions, resource navigation, warm handoffs)
Monitoring and learning tools (e.g.,trackers, dashboards guidance, fidelity and reflection prompts)
AttendNC Bright Spots is our approach to identifying and sharing peer-tested practices that improve attendance. Using data and peer comparisons to surface attendance “bright spots,” we then work with participating schools and PSUs to document what they did, why it worked in their context, and what others need to know to implement with fidelity while adapting to local conditions.
You’ll see:
- Short, plain-language stories of practice change grounded in real routines
- Implementation notes tied to common evidence-based strategies such as family engagement, barrier reduction, school climate and belonging, and tiered supports
- Context and transfer guidance, including staffing, partnerships, and timelines
- Artifacts you can reuse (e.g., meeting agendas, outreach scripts, and tracking tools)
AttendNC provides data and support to help schools and PSUs interpret attendance measures consistently and access actionable information for improvement. Resources include shared definitions and calculation notes, FAQs, and the publication of datasets, dashboards, and reporting products that support early identification, subgroup and context interpretation, and progress monitoring.
Examples of what you’ll find:
- Public-facing datasets and summary tables
- Shared definitions and calculation notes for attendance, chronic absenteeism thresholds, membership days, etc.
- Dashboards and reporting products for schools, PSUs, and statewide monitoring
- Data “how-to” guides and interpretation guidance (trend vs. snapshot, subgroup and context considerations)
AttendNC Counts supports a statewide community of practice through NCDPI-facilitated webinars, newsletters, in-person learning opportunities, and technical assistance that help schools, districts, and partners learn from one another and strengthen attendance practice over time. This work is designed to connect people around shared learning, practical problem-solving, and the spread of promising practices. The AttendNC Hub serves as the repository for products developed through these activities, providing a single place to access recordings, briefs, templates, tools, and other resources.
Examples of what you’ll find:
- Webinar recordings, slide decks, and related resources
- Newsletters and updates highlighting bright spots and practical ideas
- Materials from in-person convenings and learning sessions
- Technical assistance products, including tools, templates, and guides
Why AttendNC Counts?
Days
were missed by students on average, nearly 2 weeks (7%) of the school year.
Schools
(90%) remain above pre-pandemic rates of chronic absenteeism.
Students
were chronically absent, missing a month or more of school.
Impacts of Absenteeism
When absences accumulate, students miss instruction, relationships, and routines that support learning and well-being. Over time, this can lead to:
- Academic gaps that are hard to close
- Weaker connections to peers and adults
- Added stress and disengagement
- Greater risk of course failure or not graduating on time
Chronic absenteeism also affects classrooms and schools. Repeated absences can create more instructional disruption, more reteaching, and more time spent helping students and families reconnect to learning and support.
Regular attendance helps students build the habits, relationships, and confidence they need to stay engaged in school.
Student Attendance Gains Statewide Attention
Chronic absenteeism is drawing increased attention across the state. Recent news coverage highlights both the scale of the challenge and the progress already happening in schools and districts.
Recent North Carolina coverage:
- Almost 400k students missed a month or more of school this year in N.C. — Spectrum News 1, May 29, 2026
A statewide explainer on chronic absenteeism, why it matters, and how North Carolina schools, communities and NCDPI are responding. - NC lawmakers propose pilot program to reduce absenteeism — WUNC / WFDD, May 27, 2026
Coverage of proposed legislation to test attendance intervention systems in North Carolina schools. - Report finds Wake schools can do more to improve lagging student attendance — WRAL, May 26, 2026
A local implementation story on Wake County’s attendance challenges and recommendations for strengthening attendance supports. - Yancey Schools – Attendance Bright Spots — WKYK / Our Local Community Online, May 14, 2026
Local coverage of four Yancey County schools recognized as AttendNC Bright Spots, including Blue Ridge Elementary and South Toe Elementary as Exceptional bright spots.
- Chronic Student Absenteeism Targeted in Proposed Pilot Program — State Affairs Pro, May 25, 2026
North Carolina policymakers are considering a data-driven pilot program to reduce chronic absenteeism, reflecting growing statewide attention to attendance recovery. - North Carolina’s Attendance Bright Spots Show What’s Possible — NCDPI, May 11, 2026
An overview of the AttendNC Bright Spots analysis, dashboard, and effort to learn from schools showing meaningful attendance improvement. - Durham schools prioritizing wellness to curb chronic absenteeism — ABC11 / WTVD, April 24, 2026
A Durham-focused story on connecting attendance improvement with student wellness and support. - State Campaign Targets Chronic Student Absenteeism — State Affairs Pro, Dec. 30, 2025
Coverage of the AttendNC Bright Spots campaign and NCDPI’s effort to identify schools excelling at regular attendance and share promising practices with similar schools. - The NC schools improving attendance — EdNC / North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation, Nov. 12, 2025
A solutions-oriented piece highlighting North Carolina schools showing encouraging attendance outcomes. - CMS says it’s improving its response to chronic absenteeism — WFAE, Aug. 28, 2025
Coverage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ work to create a more comprehensive districtwide approach to chronic absenteeism.
AttendNC Research Guide (Beta)
The AttendNC Research Guide is an AI-powered tool designed to help NC educators, leaders, and community partners translate absenteeism research into clear, decision-ready guidance. It provides concise summaries, evidence ratings, and tiered recommendations grounded in trusted sources such as NCDPI, Attendance Works, IES, and peer-reviewed research.
Chat with our guide Learn about the guide
Please Note: This tool is currently in beta. Features and functionality will continue to improve and expand based on user feedback and ongoing development. Please DO NOT submit sensitive or personally identifiable staff or student information.
Connect with AttendNC Counts
Share a promising attendance practice, provide details about a "bright spot" school, or request attendance support.
General Questions
This page was last modified on 07/01/2026