School attendance has bounced back in Connecticut. Leaders hail LEAP program
Summary
Connecticut created the LEAP program during the COVID-19 pandemic to help get students back to school by sending volunteers to visit families and find out why children were missing school. Since starting in 2021, the program has helped reduce the number of students missing school often and improved attendance rates.Key Facts
- LEAP stands for Learner Engagement and Attendance Program.
- The program began in 2021 using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
- In 2021-2022, 23.7% of students in Connecticut were chronically absent, almost double the pre-pandemic rate.
- In the latest school year, chronic absenteeism dropped to 16.4%, a decrease of about 35,000 students.
- LEAP sends trained volunteers to visit families and find reasons for poor attendance, such as transportation issues, illness, housing instability, or language barriers.
- Students helped by LEAP improve attendance by double digits and face fewer disciplinary actions.
- The program operates in 25 school districts and is funded by a $7 million state budget item after federal funding ended.
- Connecticut collects detailed monthly attendance data, helping identify problems early and track progress.
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