Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — WHAT: Two Albuquerque Public Schools leaders are headed to a White House summit to explore ways to reverse high student absenteeism, a persistent problem schools nationwide have been grappling with since the pandemic. The meeting—dubbed the Every Day Counts Summit: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Increasing Student Engagement—is set for Wednesday, May 15.
WHO: Mark Garcia, the Associate Superintendent of Leadership, Learning and Equity for Goal 3, and Bryan Garcia, Community Schools Development Specialist, will share what APS has been doing collectively to reverse the trend. The Goal 3 and Goal 4 teams have been working collaboratively throughout the year to look at the root causes. The work is part of the district’s strategic plan, which aims to improve student outcomes.
WHERE: The summit is taking place in Washington, D.C. It will be livestreamed.
WHEN: The summit will be from 7:30-9:15 a.m. (Mountain Time Zone) on Wednesday, May 15.
WHY: Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the days enrolled in school, can negatively impact student academic achievement, social and emotional development, mental health, and overall well-being. APS has invested significant resources and human capital into attendance and has reduced chronic absenteeism, experiencing a drop from an all-time high of nearly 44% in 2021-2022 to 38% in 2022-2023 to 28% so far this school year. For more information, go to APS.edu.
