Overview
Research suggests that students who attend at a rate of 95% or better are significantly less likely to have failing grades or problematic behavior.
Utah is currently focusing on positive attendance promotion initiatives that positive impact all students and families, including:
- Statewide messaging on the importance of attendance
- Common language and definitions around attendance
- Consistent and accurate data collection
- Intentional statewide data analysis
Contact Us
Benji Carrier
Coordinator
Phone: (801) 538-7884 | Email
Garrett Russell
Attendance Specialist
Phone: (385) 295-7923 | Email
Megan Menlove
Attendance Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7969 | Email
If you have a concern about an attendance related issue at your school and would like to submit a complaint please follow the steps on the Public Education Hotline webpage.
Regular Attendance
Regular attendance is important because it has positive lasting impacts on students. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. Students receive more than just academic benefits from attending school regularly. Connections to peers and adults at school can have lasting impacts on students. USBE supports LEAs with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) when approaching attendance. USBE promotes regular attendance and supports schools and stakeholders in a variety of capacities.
First
Statewide universal supports that promote positive school attendance for all students.
Second
Target supports for those students and families who need additional support and resources than are provided universally.
Third
Intensive resources and supports that are individualized.
Reports and Statistics
Provided by the Utah State Board of Education, Data and Statistics
Attendance Data
Statewide Daily Attendance Data, Absenteeism Data, Graduation Rates, Dropout Rates
All of this Data can be found on the USBE Data and Statistics Website under Reports
Data Gateway
Utah’s Educational Data Gateway is a resource provided by the Utah State Board of Education that allows the public and school personnel to access education-related data.
Laws and Policies
Board Rule R277-607 oversees Absenteeism and Truancy. This rule is governed by these primary statutes.
Statutes
Utah Code Section 53G-6 Part 2: Compulsory Education
Utah State Legislature
Utah Code Section 53G-8-211: Responses to School-based Behavior
Utah State Legislature
Recent Attendance Legislation Updates
- Allows parents to provide any reason to excuse a student’s absence from school as long as the student’s GPA is at or above 2.0.
- Specifically includes events such as mountain biking and shooting sports or a youth development program that USU administers which provide education experiences as excused absences or valid excuses (not school excused absences).
- Allows a LEA to adopt a citizen grading policy with standards established by the USBE and establishes a scholarship program tied to citizenship grading.
- Allows 7-12th grade teachers to base up to 10% of final grades on class attendance. LEAs may create an attendance grading policy for no more than 20% of a student grade.
- Allows students in grades 9-12 to “test out” of core classes via USBE-standardized exams.
- Clarifies definitions around attendance.
- Requires LEAs to develop policies and procedures for attendance tracking, intervention, and enforcement and conduct regular reviews of student attendance data.
- LEA governing boards also are required to review attendance data.
- Requires LEAs to ensure that SIS data is accurate.
- Requires LEAs to notify parents within two instructional days of a student’s unexcused absences, including the total number for the school year.
Internal Audit
Utah Code Section 63I-5-201(4): Internal Auditing Programs, State Agencies directs the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) to establish an
internal audit program.
If you would like to report a concern (e.g., misuse of assets, funds, or resources;
non-compliance with regulations, policies or rules; fraud, waste, abuse or unethical
behavior), please complete the USBE Internal Audit Report a Concern Form Qualtrics Doc.
Resources
Community Resources
USBE Statewide Community Resources
Utah Specific Attendance Resources & Webinars
Utah State Board of Education Attendance Toolkit
Utah State Board of Education Attendance YouTube Channel
All Webinar Recordings Available Here
Utah State Board of Education Attendance Webinars
USBE January 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE March 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE May 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE July 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE September 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE November 2025 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE January 2026 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE March 2026 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE May 2026 Attendance Webinar Slides
USBE July 2026 Attendance Webinar Slides
Habitual Truancy Steps/Flowchart
Utah Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice
School Offense Referral Guide
Utah Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice
USBE Monthly Attendance Newsletter
Please contact USBE Attendance Specialist, Megan Menlove at megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov to receive monthly newsletters
Attendance Articles, Videos, & Webinars
A New School Year Brings Renewed Focus On Attendance
National Public Radio (NPR) Audio & Article
Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Every Day Counts YouTube
Institute of Education Sciences
Reducing Chronic Absence: What Will it Take? YouTube
Institute of Education Sciences Recorded Presentation by Hedy Cheng
The Hidden Factor of Low Performance YouTube
Institute of Education Sciences Recorded Webinar
Success Stories
Attendance Works
The State of Chronic Absenteeism: What Millions of Students Tell Us About School Climate PDF
Panorama Education
Attendance Helpful Tools
Attendance Works Awareness Campaign
Attendance Works General Resources
Attendance Works Data Tools
Attendance Works
The Student Engagement and Attendance Center
United States Department of Education
School Climate Improvement
National Center of Safe Supportive Learning Environments
DCFS Referral Google Doc
Utah State Board of Education
Attendance Research and Data
Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)
United States Department of Education
Chronic Elementary Absenteeism: A Problem Hidden in Plain Sight
Attendance Works
Attendance Works Research
Attendance Works