During 2018/19, attendance-related text messaging increased more quickly in schools where chronic absenteeism decreased than in schools where it increased, where use remained flat¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r1–r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The linear trend in attendance-related text messaging showed a faster increase in schools in which chronic absenteeism decreased by more than 2 percentage points than in schools in which it increased. → Lavigne 2021 q2 i? The rate of change in attendance-related text messaging was nearly eight times greater in schools in which chronic absenteeism decreased than in schools in which it increased. → Lavigne 2021 (2)

Evidence¶

Lavigne 2021¶

Lavigne, H., Caven, M., Bock, G., Zhang, X., & Braham, E. (2021). Exploring implementation of attendance supports to reduce chronic absenteeism in the Providence Public School District (REL 2021–099). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/report/descriptive-study/exploring-implementation-attendance-supports-reduce-chronic-absenteeism-providence-public-school

q2 · i? · associational · r1

Descriptive monthly trend analysis of platform text-messaging data (figure 9), comparing the decrease group (n = 8) with the increase group (n = 20) from October 2018 to March 2019. The report prints the per-100-student message counts for both groups.

"Schools in which chronic absenteeism decreased sent fewer than 10 attendance-related text message per 100 students in October 2018 but sent 86 such messages per 100 students in March 2019. In contrast, schools in which chronic absenteeism increased sent 39 attendance-related text messages per 100 students in October and only 50 such messages per 100 students in March 2019."

Lavigne 2021 (2)¶

Lavigne, H., Caven, M., Bock, G., Zhang, X., & Braham, E. (2021). Exploring implementation of attendance supports to reduce chronic absenteeism in the Providence Public School District (REL 2021–099). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/report/descriptive-study/exploring-implementation-attendance-supports-reduce-chronic-absenteeism-providence-public-school

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Same descriptive trend analysis: the report characterizes the difference in linear-trend slopes as "nearly eight times greater" in decrease schools. Higher early-year use in increase schools may reflect trial-school clustering, per the report.

"The rate of change in attendance-related text messaging was nearly eight times greater in schools in which chronic absenteeism decreased than in schools in which it increased."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Schools in which chronic absenteeism decreased implemented phone calls, mentorship programs, and text messaging with moderate or high fidelity more frequently than schools in which it increased — related
• Chronic absenteeism increased by more than 2 percentage points in 64 percent of elementary schools versus 35 percent of secondary schools between 2017/18 and 2018/19 — related
• Secondary schools, especially those with higher chronic absenteeism rates, used attendance-related text messaging more than elementary schools, suggesting use was better predicted by grade configuration than by absenteeism rates — related
• Nearly all attendance-related text-messaging events were targeted to specific students or subgroups, and nearly a third were sent in a language other than English, mostly Spanish — related