How AI is being used to tackle K-12 chronic absenteeism

Innovative AI solution targets chronic absenteeism in schools: Edia, an ed-tech company, has introduced a new AI-powered tool designed to combat the rising issue of chronic absenteeism in K-12 education.

• The software integrates with existing student information systems (SIS) to monitor attendance and parent contact details in real-time.
• Within 15 minutes of an unexpected absence being recorded, the system automatically sends a personalized text message to parents, with support for over 100 languages.
• The tool aims to streamline communication between schools and families, reducing the workload on administrative staff who struggle to manage increased absenteeism.

Chronic absenteeism on the rise: The problem of chronic absenteeism has significantly worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, creating challenges for schools across the United States.

• According to the American Enterprise Institute, chronic absenteeism rates increased from 15% in 2018 to 26% in 2023.
• This surge has overwhelmed school administrators, making it difficult to perform adequate outreach to all affected families.
• Edia CEO Joe Philleo highlighted the capacity issues faced by school staff in addressing the growing number of absences.

Key features of Edia’s AI attendance tool: The software offers a range of functionalities to streamline attendance management and improve communication with parents.

• The system can automatically update absences to “excused” in the SIS when parents respond with valid reasons and documentation.
• If parents don’t respond to consecutive messages or if issues like bullying or transportation problems arise, the conversation is flagged for staff follow-up.
• The platform creates comprehensive student attendance profiles, tracking missed days and maintaining a record of all related communications.

Potential impact on school districts: Educators are optimistic about the tool’s ability to address chronic absenteeism more effectively.

• Raton Public Schools Superintendent Kristie Medina, who is implementing the software in her New Mexico district, believes it will be a “game-changer” in tackling chronic absenteeism.
• The AI-powered system is expected to provide deeper insights into attendance patterns, enabling earlier identification of at-risk students.
• By leveraging AI, schools can develop more tailored and timely interventions to address individual student needs.

Broader implications for education technology: The introduction of AI-powered attendance management tools represents a significant step in the application of artificial intelligence to address educational challenges.

• This technology could potentially alleviate administrative burdens on school staff, allowing them to focus more on student support and intervention strategies.
• The tool’s ability to communicate in multiple languages may help bridge communication gaps with non-English speaking families, promoting greater inclusivity in school-family interactions.
• As AI continues to evolve, we may see more applications in education that address complex issues like student engagement, personalized learning, and early intervention for at-risk students.