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"Build your school's own behaviour and wellbeing expertise, with expert guidance alongside you"
School Attendance is Everbody's Business - Dr. Lisa McKay-Brown
School attendance is one of the biggest challenges facing schools today, but improving attendance requires far more than tracking absences. In this episode, Associate Professor Lisa McKay-Brown shares how schools can identify attendance concerns early, understand the reasons behind non-attendance, and build evidence-informed systems that keep students connected to learning.
Show Notes
Why school attendance matters
The conversation begins by exploring the current state of school attendance in Australia and why attendance has become one of the most pressing challenges facing schools.
Lisa discusses how attendance rates had been declining even before COVID-19, why the pandemic accelerated existing trends, and some of the complexities involved in understanding attendance data. Rather than viewing attendance as simply a compliance issue, she explains why schools need to understand the different reasons students are absent before deciding how to respond.
Understanding different attendance problems
Not all school attendance problems are the same, and treating them as though they are can lead to ineffective support.
Lisa introduces the four major attendance typologies discussed in the research literature: truancy, school avoidance, school withdrawal and school exclusion, and explains why distinguishing between them is essential. The conversation explores why school avoidance has become one of the most significant concerns for schools and we explore why a functional understanding of non-attendance should guide decision making rather than assumptions or labels.
Identifying concerns early
Early intervention begins with recognising the warning signs before attendance problems become chronic.
The discussion explores the early indicators of school avoidance that families and schools may observe, including changes to morning routines, emotional distress, repeated lateness and physical complaints. Lisa also explains how schools can strengthen early identification through effective screening processes, accurate attendance coding and the use of multiple sources of data, including attendance, behaviour, wellbeing and learning information.
Applying a Multi-Tiered System of Support to Attendance
A central theme throughout the episode is how schools can apply a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to improve attendance.
Lisa explains why many of the universal systems already used within behaviour and wellbeing frameworks also strengthen attendance outcomes. Topics include developing a shared vision for attendance, explicit teaching, universal screening, leadership, data-based decision making and creating a culture where attendance becomes everyone's responsibility rather than the role of a single staff member.
The discussion also explores how schools can establish meaningful decision rules for identifying students who require additional support while recognising that every school context is different.
Evidence-informed Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports
The conversation then shifts to the additional supports schools can provide when universal practices are not enough.
Lisa discusses the importance of responding early rather than waiting for attendance to deteriorate, and outlines evidence-informed Tier 2 interventions including Check In Check Out and Check & Connect. The discussion also explores when schools should intensify support, the role of progress monitoring, and how wraparound planning at Tier 3 helps coordinate the student, family, school and external agencies around shared goals.
Partnering with families
Supporting attendance requires strong relationships with families.
Lisa shares practical strategies for communicating with families in ways that are curious, caring and supportive. The discussion explores why schools should avoid making assumptions about the reasons behind absences, the importance of listening to families as experts in their own situation, and how thoughtful communication can strengthen trust while reducing frustration and repeated retelling of difficult experiences.
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Resources
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Australian Network for School Attendance - Mailing List
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A Guide for Schools on Communicating with Parents about Attendance - UK Government
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Parenting Strategies (Guidelines for parents of children and teenagers with school reluctance or refusal difficulties found on this page)
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Further information on the Pathways2Participation project
Contact Dr. Lisa Mckay-Brown
Associate Professor Lisa McKay-Brown is a teacher, researcher and lecturer at the University of Melbourne whose work focuses on improving school attendance through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. She is a recognised leader in school attendance research, serves on the executive committee of the International Network for School Attendance, and works alongside schools to develop evidence-informed systems that improve attendance, engagement and outcomes for all students.
Email: lisamb@unimelb.edu.au