How to address Oklahoma's chronic school absenteeism problem

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23-04-2025

Every child in Oklahoma deserves an excellent education. Research shows that our students aren't learning at the rate they need to. As a community we owe it to our kids to do better, and we have to start by looking at why 20% of Oklahoma students are chronically absent from school.
Students who have consistent attendance perform better academically. I'm encouraged by the steps that we're seeing schools and districts take locally —implementing systems to track attendance, introduce incentive programs and monitor progress. This is vital work and needs to go hand-in-hand with community investments. As the executive director of Teach For America (TFA) in Oklahoma, my colleagues and I have the opportunity to work in partnership with five districts across Oklahoma City. Here's what we are seeing work, and how you can support local students and schools:
More: Oklahoma students are missing class and failing in reading. What's happening?
Don't underestimate the power of community. When schools leverage people in their communities to lend their time and talents, everyone benefits. A recent EduTalk that we hosted on the topic of chronic absenteeism brought together Ariel O'Shields, a TFA alum and the Attendance Advocacy Coordinator of Oklahoma City Public Schools, seven different school districts and teachers, school leaders, school board members, donors and community leaders to learn from evidence-based practices that are leading to increased time in school for local students. What expertise or time can you lend to your local school community?
Invest in mentorship programs. Students are more motivated in school when they have strong role models. Teach For America's Ignite Fellowship is a tutoring corps designed to accelerate learning and foster belonging with students through high dosage tutoring. Fellows are bolstering academic outcomes for students and adding capacity for teachers while building relationships that increase student engagement. At Thelma Parks Elementary, 72% of third- and fourth-graders who received proficient or advanced scores on their state tests were involved in Ignite. At Santa Fe South Spero Upper Elementary School, 100% of second-grade students who entered third grade at or above grade level were a part of Ignite. Students have positive relationships with their tutors, which we know leads to increased attendance and learning. Contact your local school to see if they have a tutoring program you can support.
More: Poor math and reading skills in our public schools must improve — and quickly | Opinion
Give teachers the resources they need to prioritize time with students. What this can look like is providing professional development that strengthens instructional quality and student engagement — teachers have more capacity to focus on student work and relationships. Through our partnership I saw firsthand how Harding Charter Preparatory Middle School at Independence made strategic changes like increasing principal presence in classrooms to provide coaching for teachers, so that teachers could invest more in their students. As a result, the school saw student chronic absenteeism rates drop by 45%. Advocate for your local districts to receive the funding they need to invest in their greatest resources — students and teachers.
Provide wraparound support to students. We know there are often many obstacles that keep students from regularly attending school. For example, research shows a correlation between kids having access to clean clothes and increased attendance, which is why we partner with Whirlpool, who installs washers and dryers in schools in Oklahoma. You don't need to be a large company to help though — donations of clean clothes, nutritious snacks, and supplies are needed by most school communities and when a student knows that their school is equipped to meet some of their basic needs, that can make a real difference in their ability to attend school.
I have witnessed Oklahoma City rise and rally when we face challenges, which gives me confidence that we can come together to ensure every child achieves meaningful academic outcomes that they desire and deserve. Everyone has a part to play. Volunteer or substitute at a school, come to an EduTalk, or support a program. When Oklahoma's children succeed, we all succeed.
Sarah Park is the executive director of Teach For America Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Here's what works to get more students into the classroom | Opinion