Agenda Item
b. EveryDay Labs Attendance Intervention (Updated 10.10.2023)
Summary: Presented by: Kisha K. Towns, Ph.D., Chief of Wrap Around Services, Division of Equity and Student Empowerment
Contact: Kisha K. Towns, Ph.D., Chief of Wrap Around Services, Division of Equity and Student Empowerment
Preventing Absences in a Remote Environment:
An Evaluation of EveryDay Intervention in the
Los Angeles Unified School District
August 2021
An Evaluation of Evidence in the Los Angeles Unified School District 1
Executive Summary Impact Evaluation
Over the summer of 2020 EveryDay Labs partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District The program was evaluated using a series of rapid-cycle randomized control trials (RCTs) and
to evaluate the impact of EveryDay Intervention on attendance in an online learning environment. a follow-up family survey. RCTs are the gold standard for program evaluation, and the required
EveryDay Intervention is a proven restorative approach to absence prevention. The program evaluation method to meet the Strong Evidence standard under the Every Student Succeeds Act
leverages communication strategies informed by behavioral science to effectively reach families (ESSA).
through personalized mail nudges and two-way texts that are designed to help them:
The RCTs were designed to:
• Keep track of their children’s attendance
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the program to prevent class absences
• Overcome barriers to K–12 attendance
• Optimize communication content and frequency
• Understand the relationship between attendance and achievement
• Understand the impact of adding personalized attendance data to two-way text
• Connect to district and community supports
communications
Over six weeks, the district implemented EveryDay Intervention to help more than 40,000
The family survey was designed to:
students enrolled in their remote summer school program spend more days present and
engaged in learning. All communications were sent in English or Spanish based on the families’ • Understand families’ perception of EveryDay Intervention’s helpfulness
first language. • Assess families’ interest in receiving communications in the fall
• Test how accurately families recalled program content
The pilot tested and optimized messages personalized with schedules and attendance data. • Pulse-check concerns about remote learning
In addition, a Family Support Bot responded to families’ questions by text and directed them to
district resources or EveryDay Labs’ multilingual Family Support Team.
Program at a Glance
Remote 300,000+
80% Latino learning messages
7% Black 40,100+
88% 7% White students
Free Reduced
Lunch 4% Asian Participating 45% Spanish Strong Evidence
grades: 55% English under ESSA
30% Multiple 27% K–12 communications
1% Other bilingual
learners
2 Preventing Absences in a Remote Environment An Evaluation of Evidence in the Los Angeles Unified School District 1
Program Impact
Analysis of the program showed that the EveryDay Intervention’s strategically timed and layered
two-way text and print communications were a statistically impactful strategy for preventing
online class absences and were well-received by participating families.
Attendance and Engagement Outcomes Family Engagement Outcomes
The series of RCTs included a total of 40,124 students. The final analysis consisted of 30,447 Participating families were invited to respond to the family survey via a link sent out by text
students still enrolled at the end of summer school. Each student’s family received messages message. A total of 4,542 families, or about 10% of participating families, responded. Based
for one to five weeks throughout the pilot, depending on their experimental condition and on survey data, the perception of EveryDay Intervention was positive among families who
their child’s summer school enrollment status. Students were marked as absent or present for responded. The majority of respondents felt that the program was helpful and provided them
remote summer classes on a per-class basis in the district’s SIS. As reported in the district’s with new information. Additionally, 54% of families that responded to the survey reported
SIS, attendance behavior after outreach served as the basis for evaluating the program’s concern over knowing whether their student would be logging in and participating in remote
effectiveness. learning when school started in the fall, making communication about remote attendance critical.
Key Findings Key Findings
• Attendance: The program reduced class absences by 12% in a given week relative to not • Interest: 97% of respondents reported being interested in receiving text communications
receiving the communication. during the 2020–2021 school year.
• Messaging: Including personalized attendance data was about 50% more effective than • Helpfulness: 54% said they received information they didn’t already know.
only including personalized information such as the student’s class schedule.
• Recall: 85% of respondents correctly remembered receiving text communications.
• Engagement: Families engaged with messages and the Support Bot over time, going back
• Expectations: 74% of respondents correctly identified their child’s schedule at the end of
to overcome barriers to attendance like uncertainty about schedules and login information.
the program.
⚪ More than 10% engaged by clicking a link or asking for support from the chatbot.
⚪ 3% percent of families called EveryDay Labs’ Family Support Team.
⚪ Fewer than 2% of families opted out.
Key Outcome
97 percent of respondents reported being interested in receiving
text communications during the 2020–2021 school year.
Key Outcome
Overall the program effectively prevented 12% of absences in a
given week in a remote learning environment.
2 Preventing Absences in a Remote Environment An Evaluation of Evidence in the Los Angeles Unified School District 3
Impact Discussion
COVID-19 created an unprecedented shift in education. As school buildings across the country
and in the LAUSD closed, learning moved out of the classroom and into remote environments.
Disruptions to learning across the country put students from communities experiencing
marginalization at a high risk of learning loss that threatens to further exacerbate the equity gap.
To help overcome this challenge, the LAUSD provided its students and families with devices,
internet, and access to high-quality summer classes to overcome learning loss and keep
students on track to meet grade-level benchmarks. Before COVID-19, the district partnered with
EveryDay Labs to implement an evidence-based program to prevent in-class absences. As both
organizations pivoted to support students and families with online attendance, they partnered
to evaluate the impact of a restorative approach to family outreach on absence prevention in a
remote environment.
The findings of this research partnership are not only exciting, they also present a new evidence
basis for what works when it comes to preventing absences in a remote learning environment
due to the RCT methodology of evaluation. EveryDay Intervention reduced class absences
by 12% in a given week when implemented as a Tier-1 and Tier-2 early prevention
attendance strategy.
Beyond attendance, one of the district’s goals was to take a restorative approach to family
outreach to keep families connected and engaged as partners in their children’s learning.
Just as promising as the evidence of efficacy, the family survey provided strong feedback on
how families perceived the program. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with 97% of
responding families reporting interest in receiving text communications in the fall.
To learn more, visit:
Through this partnership, the program underwent continued
everydaylabs.com
evaluation in the 2020–2021 school year and adapted its content
as learning modes shifted to overcome the evolving challenges
of COVID-19.
Dr. Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, oversaw the RCT design, data analysis, and evaluation of
statistical impact. For more information about this brief, please contact info@everydaylabs.com.
© 2021 EveryDay Labs
4 Preventing Absences in a Remote Environment
© 2021 EveryDay Labs
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