Systemic solutions to attendance problems will originate from a system that is made up of teachers and administrators who understand the importance and interconnectedness of supporting climate, significant relationships, engaging and challenging content and instruction, and rules, policies and procedures.
—Wagstaff, Combs, & Jarvis, 2000

The issues of student engagement and attendance are complex and there are no simple solutions. Labeling a child a "truant" is not going to help matters, and neither is ignoring the underlying reasons why a child or young adult is not coming to school. As Schargel and Smink succinctly say, "Confining students for six hours a day in a place where they do not want to be is a prescription for failure" (p. 245).

This booklet presents much information that at first glance can be overwhelming to consider when time and energy are in short supply. Although each of these strategies can make a difference with attendance, and even more of a difference if combined, the first steps for schools are to determine reasons for absenteeism, assess the weaknesses and strengths of current practices, and look at promising practices that can be adapted to particular school cultures. School staff and students can achieve specific goals and celebrate small successes, even as they are grappling with the overall picture.

One thing is clear, everyone concerned with the well-being of our children needs to be involved in finding solutions, and looking at the problems in new ways. Making a commitment to doing so, such as the programs profiled in the following Northwest Sampler have done, is a good place to start.