school attendance – Misryoum reports that chronic absenteeism is closely tied to belonging and relationships, not just technology or predictive tools.
A technology shortcut can’t replace the everyday human reasons students decide to attend school.
Across education conferences and districts. Misryoum notes a familiar pattern: whenever a challenge arises. AI is often presented as the catch-all answer.. Yet in discussions on improving the high school experience. a different message kept surfacing from practitioners: attendance is ultimately about whether a young person feels connected to something meaningful at school.
This matters because chronic absenteeism can quickly turn into a long-term academic problem. disrupting learning and raising the risk of students falling behind.. Misryoum highlights that the strongest signals for improving attendance tend to be linked to school connectedness. especially when students have at least one adult who notices them and understands their life beyond the classroom.
Insight: When students feel seen, school stops being something they endure and starts becoming something they can belong to, which changes the day-to-day decision of whether to show up.
Misryoum reports that disengagement often looks like “doing school” rather than truly participating.. That pattern has shown up consistently over time. with many students moving through school routines while feeling little joy or purpose.. In that reality. attendance challenges are rarely only logistical; they reflect whether the learning environment feels relevant. supportive. and emotionally safe.
Meanwhile, districts that see improvements are typically not relying solely on dashboards or automated systems.. Misryoum emphasizes that relationship-based outreach and early identification of students who need support are central. with technology used to help staff find who may be slipping away.. The goal is not to automate care, but to give educators better visibility so they can offer timely, genuine help.
Insight: Predictive models can point to concern, but trust is built by people. The technology can help educators act sooner, while relationships determine whether support actually lands.
In place of a tech-first mindset, Misryoum points to approaches that begin with mapping student connections.. Instead of assuming every student has an anchor adult, staff work to identify where gaps exist.. From there. volunteers or staff can take structured steps to strengthen those bonds over time. creating a school culture where adults follow through and students have a reason to return.
As districts plan for the next school year. Misryoum says the choice is clear: whether to chase ever more complex systems to track disengagement. or to prioritize belonging as a core part of attendance work.. The most effective strategies, in this view, use technology to support the human work, not to replace it.
Insight: Chronic absenteeism improves when schools measure what students need to feel connected, and then invest in the caring adults who can make that connection real.