ERIC Number: ED673996
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 54
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Lifting up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1189
Elise Swanson; Sativa Thompson; Jennifer Ash; Hayley Didriksen; Thomas J. Kane; Douglas O. Staiger; Lisa Sanbonmatsu
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Student absenteeism has remained high following the COVID-19 pandemic and districts need low-cost strategies to improve attendance. In 2020-21, the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks piloted a promising personalized messaging intervention in 8 rural districts in New York and Ohio. We worked with a student information system provider to replicate the intervention in a randomized trial in 47 districts in 16 states between 2022-23 and 2023-24. We find that the personalized messages reduced student absences by between 1.7 (p<0.05) and 4.5 percent (p<0.05) and cost, on average, $4.07 per student to implement. We report on implementation challenges and heterogeneous effects across student populations. Our findings have practical implications for implementing technology-based interventions in the rural context.
Descriptors: Rural Schools, Attendance, Intervention, Information Systems, School Districts, Barriers, COVID-19, Pandemics, Cost Effectiveness, Pilot Projects, Technology Integration, Electronic Mail, Telecommunications, Computer Mediated Communication, Parent School Relationship, Compliance (Psychology), Elementary Secondary Education, Learner Engagement, Parent Teacher Cooperation, Program Effectiveness
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Ohio; New York
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305C190004
Department of Education Funded: Yes
Author Affiliations: N/A


