Here are some suggestions for how teachers, administrators, and all staff can directly and indirectly affect student attendance and their desire to attend school (Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, n.d./b; French et al., 1991; Ryan & Patrick, 2001). Staff members who provide and model caring relationships, high expectations, a structured learning environment, and opportunities for students to participate and contribute can indeed turn students' life around (Waxman, Gray, & Padrón, 2003).

• Make students and their families feel welcome. Greeting them when they arrive and posting signs in their native language are just a couple of ways to communicate to parents and students that they are valued members of the school community. Hiring administrative staff members who speak the same language as families is another way not only to welcome bilingual families, but to provide them with someone who can act as an interpreter.
• When a student is absent, immediately talk to their family member in person—by personal phone call during the day or the evening.
• Let children know that when they are not in school, they are missed. Talk to them about why they were gone, and if there is anything you can do to help.
• Reward and recognize good attendance, not just great attendance. Post signs and announcements on the school Web site, in libraries, and in community centers.
• When students are afraid of being ridiculed or criticized by both teachers and other students, or are afraid of making mistakes, they are less likely to want to work. School staff can create an environment of mutual respect within which students are not afraid to speak up.
• Teachers, administrators, and school counselors can help with family problems by seeking referrals to other agencies or to support within the district.
• Teachers can provide high expectations for all students, guide students in focusing on their strengths, and challenge students to work beyond what they think they can do (Benard, 2004; Waxman, Gray, & Padrón, 2003). This is especially important for children of diverse cultures, who may in the past have had teachers with low expectations of them. "It goes without saying that high-expectation educators do not label their students—as 'at risk' or anything else," says Benard.
• Don't rely on using rewards as the only strategy for increasing attendance. Research shows mixed results for this approach, and positive results are often not long term.
• Create shared learning opportunities for students to work together—either during whole-group or small-group lessons, or with peer tutoring. Some research indicates that this encourages students' motivation and engagement.