Hope, Relevance, and Purpose in Practice: Data-Driven Strategies to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism and Boost Student Outcomes

Dr. David Diehl is the Child Welfare and Attendance Program Administrator for the Sanger Unified School District. While a Director of Community Services in a small rural district facing significant challenges, the Selma Unified School District took bold steps to address one of education’s most pressing issues—chronic absenteeism. His district launched a district-wide, data-driven initiative that resulted in a remarkable 31% drop in chronic absenteeism across its elementary schools in just 1.5 years. This powerful session will explore the district’s tiered framework, developed under the leadership of Dr. David Diehl, that uses predictive data, early warning signs, and wraparound support to transform student attendance and lives. Learn how attendance teams, comprised of social workers and newly hired Community Liaisons, analyzed data to identify attendance barriers and engage families early in the school year. Discover how this model goes beyond the numbers, integrating behavioral data, literacy indicators, and school-avoidance patterns to support the whole child. Dr. Diehl will also share the research and lived experiences that shaped this approach, including insights from five major longitudinal studies and his own work with justice-involved youth. With deep personal investment stemming from his time teaching in a court school, where he tragically lost 21 students to gang violence. Dr. Diehl offers not just a framework, but a call to action. Join this session to gain a replicable blueprint for reducing absenteeism, increasing student connectedness, and preventing future dropout and delinquency—starting before 6th grade. Whether you're an administrator, counselor, or community partner, you’ll leave inspired and equipped to lead meaningful change in your own district.