Closing the Attendance Impact Gap Part 3: 3 Strategies to Build Belonging – the Key to Attendance Today and Every Day After

Presented by Kate Pechacek, Former Teacher, Current K12 Strategic Consultant, No Isolation Moderated by Roland Jones, Former Teacher, Current K12 Partnerships, No Isolation Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features. In parts one and two of the four-part Closing the Attendance Impact Gap series, we explored the attendance paradox and the true cost of chronic absence. Many districts have built strong systems and processes, yet results often plateau. This third edWebinar focuses on what is often missing: the role of belonging as the most powerful lever for improving attendance outcomes. When students feel disconnected, absence is not neutral; it accelerates disengagement. Conversely, students return and stay where they feel they belong. This session will examine belonging not as a soft outcome, but as a strategic driver of attendance. This session introduces three practical strategies to intentionally build belonging across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports. Attendees will explore how to maintain connection during absence, strengthen relationships with families, and align school and district efforts to create a consistent, belonging-centered experience for students. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to strengthen attendance by building the conditions that bring students back…and keep them there. This edWebinar will be of interest to teachers, school leaders, and district leaders of all grade levels. View part one: 5 Gap-Filling Strategies for Solving the Attendance Paradox View part two: 3 Steps to Maximize Return on Attendance, and What Absence Really Costs Stay tuned for part four of the Closing the Attendance Impact Gap series. Kate Pechacek serves as a K–12 Strategic Advisor to systems-improving education technology organizations and school districts, including No Isolation, and is the founder and CEO of OpendoorsEd. She began her 30-year career in education as a secondary mathematics teacher, serving for 15 years before holding multiple site- and district-level leadership roles in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and MTSS across districts nationwide. She then spent nearly a decade in education technology before founding OpendoorsEd. Kate is an internationally recognized speaker, including at the 2025 World Inclusion Congress in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and is passionate about systemic school improvement. Roland Jones brings a unique perspective to educational innovation, blending formal teaching credentials with deep expertise in technology adoption and digital transformation. A licensed educator with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Missouri, Roland also studied at the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music. With over 20 years of experience leading technology-driven change initiatives, he specializes in helping institutions maximize the impact of innovative solutions. In his current role, Roland leads new K–12 partnerships for No Isolation and is passionat