Virginia Department of Education & EveryDay Labs Partnership: A Commitment to Improving Chronic Absenteeism in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has been dedicated to supporting divisions across Virginia in bringing more students back to school for critical learning opportunities. Over the past few years, the VDOE has led numerous initiatives to reduce absenteeism, including: 

• Supporting the All In VA Attendance Matters initiative led by Governor Youngkin’s office 
• Partnering with Attendance Works
• Running a campaign building on the hype of the Summer Olympics
• Leading a Four part webinar series and accompanying toolkits and resources covering best practices for attendance teams, transportation, and family engagement
• Hosting the 2nd Annual Attendance Symposium, attended by 120 division leaders.

Thanks to these efforts and the hard work of Virginia educators, the state has already seen a decrease in chronic absenteeism from 19.3% in the 22-23 school year to 16.1% in 23-24. 

But there’s still more work to be done, which is why the VDOE put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2024 to find an official attendance improvement partner to further support at-risk students in divisions across Virginia. The team ultimately chose EveryDay Labs, not just for our proven expertise in supporting districts nationwide, but for our ongoing impact within Virginia, where we currently serve over 100,000 students, including Newport News City, Portsmouth Public Schools, Richmond Public Schools, and Virginia Beach City Public Schools. 

The statewide contract with EveryDay Labs is intended to provide consistency in delivering proven attendance improvement services, including actionable data analytics, effective communications, and ongoing staff training, which will all help keep the needle moving in the right direction for attendance and student success. 

Curious about bringing the VDOE-preferred solution to your district? 

• Check out a conversation with the VDOE, EveryDay Labs, and their division partners from Newport News City Public Schools and Portsmouth Public Schools 
• Complete the interest form for a proposal. 
• Access the VDOE contract & contract modification. 
• Join our virtual professional learning series on June 11 and June 18 

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