In accordance with the Governor’s Proclamation 20-25, “Stay Home, Stay Healthy,” and to protect the health and safety of Washingtonians and our employees, at this time, there is restricted public access to the OSPI building. OSPI will continue serving the public via phone, email, and the website.
See OSPI’s COVID-19 guidance and resources for educators, students, and families.
Updates to the absence rule - Chapter 392-401 WAC for school year 2021-22 coming soon!
Attendance is a critical building block for student learning. If students are not present, they cannot engage in learning. Attendance is a powerful signal and leading indicator of equity. It can signal when students might need additional support and areas for system and school improvement. Chronic absenteeism impacts all students—no matter their age. Students that miss just two days a month for any reason are more likely to not read at grade level, and more likely to not graduate.
In this section, you will find resources to learn more about attendance, including recorded webinars, best practices, and research. Find tools & resources to help you improve attendance in your school. Order or download ready to use awareness materials, recordings & videos.
This section has guides for parents to understand that law, truancy process, and ideas for working with their school and district.
Relevant laws and data pertaining to attendance in Washington state.
Each school district must identify a point of contact for all matters related to excessive absenteeism and truancy (RCW 28A.225.026). Find your district's contact information here.