Attendance Contracts

Attendance Contracts

What Is an Attendance Contract?

An attendance contract is a formal agreement between a school, student, and family outlining specific attendance expectations, improvement goals, and potential consequences if those goals are not met. These contracts are typically used as part of a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention strategy and may be required before referring a student to a School Attendance Review Board (SARB).

While contracts vary by district, they are often signed by all parties and used to document that the school has taken structured steps to support the student before legal or disciplinary action is considered.

Why It Matters

Attendance contracts serve multiple purposes:

• Signal to families that attendance has reached a critical point
• Create clear expectations and shared accountability
• Document efforts for compliance with state truancy laws
• Offer a structured plan for improving attendance without escalating immediately to SARB or court

When used effectively, attendance contracts can help re-engage families and prevent further absenteeism — especially when paired with supportive follow-up.

How Schools Use This Term in Practice

Most districts implement attendance contracts when a student has:

• Received multiple truancy notifications (e.g., NOT1, NOT2)
• Missed a set number of unexcused or total days (e.g., 8–12 absences)
• Not responded to prior outreach efforts (e.g., phone calls, success plans)

Contracts may be created during:

• A formal SART (School Attendance Review Team) meeting
• A principal-parent conference
• A Tier 2 team meeting in MTSS

Typical components include:

• Student’s current attendance record
• Specific short-term attendance goals (e.g., no absences over 30 days)
• Parent/guardian responsibilities (e.g., daily check-ins, call-ins for absences)
• Staff responsibilities (e.g., check-ins, transportation support, incentives)
• Consequences if improvement does not occur (e.g., SARB referral)
• Signature lines for student, guardian, and staff

What’s the Difference Between an Attendance Contract and an Attendance Success Plan?

While both are used to address attendance issues, they differ in tone and intent.

• An Attendance Contract is typically more formal and compliance-focused, often used as a last step before SARB.
• An Attendance Success Plan is collaborative and supportive, focused on goal-setting and removing barriers.

Some districts are shifting language from “contract” to “plan” to reduce the stigma and encourage more family participation.

Related Terms and Concepts

• Truancy Notifications – Often precede the use of attendance contracts
• SART / SARB – Contracts are typically required before a SARB referral
• MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) – Contracts are often part of Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions
• Chronic Absenteeism – Contracts aim to reduce chronic patterns and reset student engagement
• Attendance Success Plan – A more student-centered alternative used in some Tier 2 systems

Example Scenario

A high school student in Oakland USD has missed 10 unexcused days by mid-November. The school has already sent NOT1 and NOT2, and a counselor has tried to reach out with no success. A SART meeting is scheduled. During the meeting, the team creates an attendance contract with the student and family, agreeing to weekly check-ins and no more than one absence over the next 20 school days. The contract outlines that a SARB referral will follow if the plan is not successful.

How Attendance Contracts Impact Districts

Attendance contracts help districts:

• Document due diligence before escalating to SARB
• Provide a paper trail for compliance with state truancy timelines
• Shift accountability from informal efforts to structured plans
• Demonstrate that the district made every effort to support the student before legal intervention

They also create clarity for families, giving them one last opportunity to course-correct with clear support and expectations.

How Are Schools Across the U.S. Using Attendance Contracts?

Districts are modernizing attendance contracts with more empathy and structure:

1. Short-Term, Achievable Goals
Instead of generic expectations, contracts now focus on short, specific timeframes to build momentum.

2. Integrated With Tiered Interventions
Contracts are tracked as part of MTSS Tier 2 and Tier 3 workflows, not as standalone documents.

3. Embedded Family Voice
Districts are involving families in shaping contract terms and building mutual understanding.

4. Follow-Up Systems
Teams are scheduling contract reviews and check-ins to monitor progress and provide support.

5. Rebranding With Supportive Language
Some districts now refer to these documents as “attendance agreements” or “success commitments” to avoid the legal tone of “contracts.”

How Nudge Helps

Nudge makes it easy to document and follow through on attendance contracts — without losing track of who's responsible or what’s been promised.

With Nudge, you can:

• Flag students who meet contract criteria based on absence thresholds
• Log contract creation, assign staff owners, and track outcomes
• Embed contract checkpoints into your MTSS workflows
• Document every step leading up to a SARB referral
• Evaluate how contracts perform across schools or student groups

When contracts are tracked well, they work better — and Nudge makes that possible.

Want to Make Attendance Contracts More Consistent and Effective?

See how Nudge helps schools streamline intervention tracking, meet compliance standards, and support students before escalation is necessary.