Coordinating the Mesosystem: An Ecological Approach to Addressing Chronic Absenteeism

ABSTRACT To reduce the number of chronically absent students in schools annually, cities and municipalities across the United States have implemented programs, initiatives, and invested resources into educational reforms that would lead to improvement in school attendance. Drawing on ecological systems theory and interview data, we examined how organizations within Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania directly worked with students, collaborated with each other, and facilitated opportunities to reduce the impact of chronic absenteeism in the local school district. Interview data revealed how organizations leveraged resources to train key personnel, communicate the importance of daily school attendance, and work directly with students on improving school attendance. Our findings highlight how community approaches to absenteeism require various levels of support from organizations.