Can We Fix the Attendance Crisis? with Robert Balfanz

Originally recorded at the World Education Summit, this landmark session revisits one of education’s most urgent conversations: the attendance crisis. Professor Robert Balfanz joins Stephen Cox to define chronic absenteeism, examine its patterns, and unpack why it matters so much for student outcomes. Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year) is shown to negatively impact both academic success and students’ social connections at school. Robert and Stephen discuss why engaging families, monitoring attendance closely, and implementing supportive (rather than punitive) strategies are essential to getting students back into the classroom and keeping them there. The conversation covers: 🔹 School connectedness: why students’ sense of belonging is central to attendance and engagement 🔹 The 20% threshold: recognising when chronic absenteeism reaches crisis levels 🔹 Four main drivers of dropout: the root causes schools need to address to keep students on track Subscribe for more expert conversations on education, leadership, and classroom practice from the World Education Summit series.