#United States #Santa Barbara #K-12 Education #ParentSquare #Attendance Plus

ParentSquare Launches Attendance Plus

In a notable advancement for the education sector, ParentSquare, a leading school-home communication platform, has unveiled its latest offering—ParentSquare Attendance Plus. Launched on August 27, 2025, this innovative feature aims to tackle the pervasive issue of chronic absenteeism in K–12 schools. With over 20 million families trusting ParentSquare for school communication, the platform's new feature promises to foster better engagement between schools and families, ultimately assisting in improving student outcomes.

Chronic absenteeism has emerged as a critical challenge for U.S. public schools, impacting approximately 19% of students during the 2023-24 academic year, translating to about 9.4 million children missing a significant portion of their school days. Although this figure reflects an improvement compared to pandemic-era numbers, it still surpasses pre-pandemic rates, highlighting a pressing need for effective intervention strategies.

Research indicates that enhancing family engagement is one of the most effective methods to mitigate chronic absenteeism. Schools that build robust relationships with families frequently report lower absenteeism rates and improved long-term outcomes for students. Unfortunately, many educational institutions currently lack the requisite tools to effectively engage with families, thereby missing opportunities to promote attendance. Enter ParentSquare Attendance Plus, designed to bridge this gap.

“Chronic absenteeism highlights a disconnect between the school and home,” explains Alex Meis, MPA, Senior Director of Product at ParentSquare. “ParentSquare Attendance Plus provides schools with the tools necessary to rebuild that connection, encouraging communication that emphasizes the message, ‘We miss you at school.’”

The significance of this new solution lies in its integration into the existing ParentSquare platform. Unlike traditional standalone systems that could complicate daily school operations, ParentSquare Attendance Plus offers a seamless experience for educators and families alike. It combines data insights with attendance tracking features, enabling staff to respond swiftly to attendance issues while personalizing communication strategies to nurture relationships with families.

The key features of ParentSquare Attendance Plus include the following:

• - Proactive Engagement: The solution champions a shift from reactive absence alerts to supportive outreach that acknowledges good attendance and encourages positive student habits.
• - Data-Driven Insights: It utilizes real-time dashboards to highlight attendance trends and identify at-risk students, providing actionable insights aligned with Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS).
• - Inclusive Communication: Families are reached through their preferred communication channels—be it via app notifications, email, text, or voice messages—with translation features to ensure equitable access across various languages.
• - Culture-Building Impact: The platform aims to enhance trust and collaboration between schools and families by promoting recognition efforts that celebrate consistent attendance.

One early adopter, South Whittier School District, has reported transformative changes in how it supports students and their families. Michelle Ryan, the district’s Lead Data Integrity Specialist, shared, “Our attendance clerks can now identify who needs outreach each day and respond immediately. They send personalized messages in multiple languages from the same platform families already use.” The district has noted stronger engagement, expedited interventions, and tangible improvements in daily attendance figures as a result of using Attendance Plus.

In conclusion, ParentSquare Attendance Plus is now available for school districts nationwide as an add-on to the existing ParentSquare platform. This feature represents a significant leap forward in addressing chronic absenteeism through improved family engagement. Educational institutions looking to foster a positive school culture and enhance student attendance are encouraged to explore this innovative solution.

To learn more about ParentSquare Attendance Plus, visit ParentSquare's official page.

About ParentSquare

Founded in 2011 in Santa Barbara, California, ParentSquare has become a trusted leader in school-home engagement. With an innovative communication platform that caters to K-12 districts, ParentSquare’s mission is to ensure all families are included in their children’s education, utilizing personalized messaging and various communication modalities. Recognized for its growth and innovation, ParentSquare continues to empower educational communities across the nation.