Read a guest blog from our TEACH partner, the Military Child Education Coalition!

 

Wreaths Across America and MCEC Unite to Tackle Chronic Absenteeism Among Military-Connected Youth

Written by: Sue Lopez, M.Ed. School Counseling

MCEC Curriculum Development and Instructional Design

Across the nation, schools are grappling with a troubling rise in chronic absenteeism impacting military-connected youth and adolescents. As the back-to-school season begins, Wreaths Across America, in collaboration with the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), is spotlighting the importance of adopting proactive, research-based strategies to raise awareness of the unique attendance-related challenges faced by highly mobile students. Frequent relocations, combined with extended parental deployments and the emotional toll of reintegration, place them at increased risk for disrupted learning, school avoidance, diminished social connections, and a weakened sense of belonging. Unlike their civilian peers, these students often experience multiple school transitions throughout their academic journey, making it harder to form stable relationships and meaningful social connections with both peers and educators. The goal is to support academic recovery, promote student well-being, and ensure that every student feels welcomed, supported, and ready to thrive in the new academic year.

Understanding the Scope of the Challenge

The military lifestyle involves frequent and often unpredictable disruptions such as having to move on short notice to a different location, forcing students to adjust to new learning environments, academic standards and requirements, and peer groups. Deployments and reintegration cycles also bring emotional challenges—ranging from anxiety and depression to feelings of detachment—which may lead to school avoidance or inconsistent attendance.

“The start of the school year can be a mix of excitement and emotions for all students, and a student who has moved over the summer could easily get lost in the crowd,” said Mary Bier, President and CEO of the Military Child Education Coalition. “The fragile first two weeks of school are crucial for new students to feel welcomed and supported. We urge schools to foster an environment that provides new students with opportunities for relationship-building and connecting with peers.”

When military-connected students arrive at a new school, they may be at risk of chronic absenteeism due to administrative delays, missing academic transfer documents, or a lack of access to direct and indirect academic or mental health support services. These transition points represent crucial opportunities for early intervention with school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers and other education professionals working within a K-12 setting⁶.

The Hidden Costs of Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year or just two days a week, which can lead to serious consequences. Students who are chronically absent are more likely to fall behind academically, experience mental health struggles, and drop out of school altogether^4,6,7. For military-connected youth, these risks are often compounded by the stress of mobility and separation from deployed parents or caregivers.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education and recent national studies show that absenteeism among military-connected students correlates strongly with academic decline, increased anxiety, and impaired social-emotional development. These impacts are not uniform; rather, they manifest differently at each developmental stage. Younger children may struggle with separation anxiety or regress after a move. Middle schoolers may feel isolated or have difficulty building friendships. High school students may disengage from academics or lose hope about their postsecondary future.

Building Systems That Promote Belonging

School-based mental health staff and community mental health providers play a vital role in helping reduce unnecessary school absences. When students miss school due to preventable health issues—or lack access to timely behavioral or mental health medical care—chronic absenteeism can spike.

One of the most effective ways to support military-connected students is through the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and School-based Mental Health System frameworks³. These allow schools to address academic, behavioral, and emotional needs at multiple levels:

· Tier 1 (Universal Prevention): Promote attendance through a positive school climate, relationship-building, and proactive communication with families. Schools could ensure that all students experience welcoming routines and predictable expectations.

· Tier 2 (Targeted Early Intervention): Identify students with emerging attendance issues and offer targeted support, such as peer mentoring, small group counseling, academic monitoring, mentorship programs and connection to services like tutoring or school-based mental health care to help students who begin to show early warning signs of disengagement.

· Tier 3 (Intensive Support): Provide case-managed, individualized interventions for students with chronic or severe attendance barriers. These may include wraparound services, trauma-informed care, and ongoing collaboration with parents, school counselors, school psychologists, and other school-based and community mental health professionals.

Schools and community health providers are encouraged to evaluate current policies and identify areas for improvement in reducing health-related absences¹. This collaborative approach helps close attendance gaps and ensures that military-connected students receive the full benefit of educational, behavioral, and mental school and community mental health systems.

Programs That Make a Difference

In addition to layered support systems, peer-led programs like the MCEC Student 2 Student® (S2S) have been instrumental in helping military-connected youth transition more smoothly.

According to Bier, “S2S is there to ensure new students have a soft landing when they arrive at a new school, often with opportunities to get to know their peers and become familiar with the campus before the start of the school year. When a new student feels seen and accepted, their emotional well-being is supported, clearing a path for learning.”

S2S cultivates a school-wide climate and culture of 100% acceptance and focuses on student character growth, educational opportunities, school, and community outreach, and creating connections to ensure that students feel known and welcomed from the first day.

Proactive strategies—such as staff training in trauma-informed practices, data-informed decision-making, and routines that normalize mobility—can help prevent chronic absenteeism before it begins. Schools that invest in comprehensive school-based mental health approaches are better equipped to support military-connected students and families experiencing a school transition.

A Call to Action for the New School Year

Chronic absenteeism is not just an attendance issue, it is a reflection of belonging, stability, and emotional safety. As we begin a new academic year, addressing chronic absenteeism must be a collective priority, especially those serving military-connected youth. Military-connected

students bring a unique set of resilience, strength and challenges that require adaptable, intentional, and compassionate support responses from educators and school leaders.

To prevent absenteeism and ensure every military-connected student starts the year strong, schools could:

· Foster a culture where attendance equals connection and care.

· Use attendance and behavioral data to intervene early and effectively.

· Use multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to respond to social, behavioral, and mental health needs early and effectively.

· Train educators to recognize the signs of trauma and mobility-related stressors.

· Train educators to empower peer-led student groups to establish welcoming school routines and practices.

· Leverage behavioral and mental health care community partnerships to address preventable absences.

· Assess and improve school-based mental health access with standardized screening tools.

The path to reducing absenteeism starts with creating school environments where students want to be—not just because they’re expected to attend, but because they feel valued and understood ^5,6,8. As we begin a new school year, let us commit to making every classroom a place where military-connected students know they belong—and a team ready to help them succeed.

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MCEC Programs and Resources (in a pullout box)

For personalized support, Military Student Consultants (MSCs) are education professionals who provide concierge support to students, parents, or professionals. Whether through phone calls or submissions via the website, an MSC will personally respond to provide the guidance and resources needed.

Visit the MCEC website to explore resources, start training, or learn more about programs. You can play a vital role in the lives of military-connected children, ensuring they are equipped to face the unique challenges of military life with resilience and confidence.

https://militarychild.org/

 

 

References (APA)

¹ Attendance Works. (n.d.-a). 3 tiers of intervention. https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/3-tiers-of-intervention/

² Attendance Works. (n.d.-b). Why attendance matters for health care providers. https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/why-attendance-matters-for-health-care-providers/

³ Attendance Works. (n.d.-c). School-based health program self-assessment. https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/self-assessment/

⁴ Attendance Works. (n.d.-d). Making the case. https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/messaging/making-the-case/

⁵ Healthy Schools Campaign, Mental Health America, & Attendance Works. (2024, May 14). The impact of school mental health services on reducing chronic absenteeism. Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/blog/impact-school-mental-health-services-reducing-chronic-absenteeism/

⁶ Mental Health America. (2022, October 26). The impact of school mental health services on reducing chronic absenteeism. https://mhanational.org/blog/impact-school-mental-health-services-reducing-chronic-absenteeism/

⁷ U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Chronic absenteeism in the nation's schools. https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html

⁸ U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Supporting student attendance and engagement. https://www.ed.gov/teaching-and-administration/supporting-students/seac/supporting-student-attendance-and-engagement