What happened
Cool Cat Teacher published a 10 Minute Teacher Podcast episode in which Vicki Davis interviews Dr. Leah Marsh, assistant principal at Niles Middle School in Ohio. The episode says Niles Middle School reduced suspensions by 32% and raised attendance while using PBIS, attendance improvement, mentoring, and a support space called the “dragon den.”
Why it matters
The episode frames chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year. Its notes say national chronic absenteeism was 14.1% in 2018-2019 and 22.6% in 2024-2025, with AEI finding less than one percentage point of improvement in the most recent year. For leaders, the practical issue is not only tracking absence counts but identifying barriers, aversion, disengagement, or misconceptions that may sit behind them.
What to do next
Teams can review attendance and suspension data together, ask why specific students are absent, and check whether school practices are adding missed time. Consider assigning adult mentors, using tiered supports, and creating supervised spaces for students who come to school but need support. Treat Niles as one reported example, not a guaranteed model, and compare local plans with resources cited from Attendance Works, Check & Connect, and the Center on PBIS.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
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