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End-of-Year Attendance Pulse Check
In this guide
The final weeks of school are your most valuable window to capture family feedback, strengthen relationships, and lay the groundwork for a stronger attendance strategy—before families go offline for the summer.
In this guide, you’ll find everything your attendance team needs to run a tiered end-of-year pulse check using ParentSquare Attendance Plus, including ready-to-send message templates, a planning table, North Star goals for each tier, practical tips, and answers to common questions.
Why an end-of-year pulse check?
Families are still reachable
At the end of the year, their experience is fresh. Once summer starts, this window is closed.
Feedback becomes strategy
What families share now shapes next school year's messaging, logistics, and culture.
Relationships carry over
A positive interaction now changes how a Tier 3 family starts next year.
“Higher levels of family engagement are associated with better attendance.”
Dr. Karen Mapp
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
01 / 01
Understanding the tiers
Attendance Plus organizes students into tiers based on their rates of chronic absenteeism. Each tier calls for a different engagement approach, from celebration and culture-building at Tier 1, to intensive relational support at Tier 3.
| Tier | Absence rate | Approach | Messaging tone | 26–27 focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 0–4% (satisfactory) | Universal positive engagement | Celebratory, affirming | Culture building |
| Tier 2 | 5–9% (at-risk) | Targeted support and root cause | Curious, growth-oriented | Operational fixes |
| Tier 3 | 10%+ (chronic) | Intensive relational support | Empathetic, open-ended | Warm handoff |
Message templates by tier
Each message below is ready to send from ParentSquare Attendance Plus. The merge fields, denoted by {{bracketed text}}, will auto-populate with each student’s name. Messages are automatically translated into 100+ languages and delivered via text, email, or app notification.
Tier 1 — Satisfactory | 0-4% absence rate
Goal: Retention and affirmation Channel: Direct Message
Sample message:
Hi! As we celebrate a great year with {{student.first_name}}, what did you and {{student.first_name}} enjoy most about school this year? Reply and share with us!
Call to action: Ask the family to share a favorite school experience from this year.
26–27 North Star: Culture building: Turn consistent families into “attendance ambassadors” who model positive habits for the whole school community.
Tier 2 — At-Risk |5-9% absence rate
Goal: Awareness and friction reduction Channel: Direct message
Sample message:
Hi! We want next year to be {{student.first_name}}’s best yet. What is the one thing—a club, class, or friend—that makes them most happy to be at school? We appreciate your ideas.
Call to action: Identify the one thing—a club, class, or friend—that motivates the student to attend.
26–27 North Star: Operational Fixes: Use feedback to surface hidden hurdles (transportation, routines, scheduling) and adjust district logistics before the new school year.
Tier 2 — Chronic | 10%+ absence rate
Goal: Relationship and support Channel: Direct message + personal call
Sample Message:
We want {{student.first_name}} to feel safe and welcome as we finish this year and plan for the next. Do you have a few minutes to speak about how to best support them? Please reply and let us know.
Call to action: Open a conversation with a counselor or specialist, focused on belonging and a fresh start.
26–27 North Star: Relational intervention: Make sure every chronic student has a named support person and a “warm handoff” plan before Day 1 of the new school year.
Tips for sending messages by tier
Tier 1 — Universal outreach
- Send to all Tier 1 families, since broad reach is the goal here. In this tier, volume is a benefit, not a drawback.
- Time outreach for the last two weeks of school while engagement is still high.
- Use responses to identify your “attendance ambassador” candidates for the new school year. Enthusiastic families can become peer advocates.
- Even a small response rate yields insight. If you find out what students, make plans to double down on it next school year.
Tier 2 — Targeted outreach
- Personalization matters most here. Use the student’s name and avoid generic language.
- Look for patterns in responses. If multiple families flag transportation or after-school care, that should be a signal for your district.
- Don’t mention attendance in the message. Instead, lead with the student’s strengths and interests.
- If a family replies, log the conversation in the student’s action history in ParentSquare Attendance Plus.
Tier 3 — Intensive outreach
- Tier 3 families have received the most notifications this year—in some cases, potentially upwards of 40 touchpoints. Lead with empathy, not urgency.
- Follow the direct message with a personal phone call. Once the message opens the door, the call can build the relationship.
- The goal is a “warm handoff.” Before summer, every Tier 3 student should have a name support person and a plan ready for Day 1 of the new school year.
- If a family has been unresponsive all year, a message framed around safety and fresh starts is more likely to invite a reply than another warning notice.
Planning summary: Pulse check at a glance
| Tier | Messaging goal | Theme | Channel | Call to action | 26–27 North Star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Retention and affirmation | Celebration | Direct message | Share a favorite experience | Culture building and Ambassadors |
| Tier 2 | Awareness and friction reduction | Growth | Direct message | Identify one area of success | Operational fixes |
| Tier 3 | Relationship and support | Deep support | Direct message + personal call | Connect with specialist | Warm handoff before Day 1 of new school year |
Building your North Star for the new school year
The responses you collect from this pulse check are more than goodwill. Treat the feedback from each tier as inputs for your attendance strategy in the coming year.
Tier 1 → Attendance ambassadors
Families who respond positively are your best advocates. Identify them, thank them, and invite them to play a role in welcoming new families or sharing what makes your school worth showing up to every day.
Tier 2 → Operational fixes
Look for patterns in responses. If multiple families flag transportation, scheduling conflicts, or after-school care, focus your attention on this signal. Use their feedback to adjust bus routes, bell schedules, or support programs before the new school year begins.
Tier 3 → The Warm Handoff
Before summer, every chronically absent student should have a named support person and a clear plan for Day 1. Use the conversation you start now to make sure no Tier 3 student begins the new school year without a relationship already in place.
Ready to put this into action?
Reach out to your ParentSquare Customer Success Manager with questions or request a personalized demo of ParentSquare Attendance Plus today.
Frequently asked questions
When should I send these messages?
Ideally in the last two to three weeks of school, while families are still engaged and their experience is fresh. Even late April or early May is valuable. It’s never too late in the school year to reach out.
Do I need to send messages to all three tiers at once?
No, start with whichever tier is your priority. Many teams begin with Tier 1 to practice positive outreach, then move to Tiers 2 and 3. The important thing is that the message tone matches the tier.
What if families don’t respond?
A non-response is still information. For Tier 3, follow up with a personal call. For Tiers 1 and 2, it may simply mean the family is busy. Silence doesn’t always mean disengagement.
Can I customize the sample messages?
Yes. The templates are starting points. You can edit the wording, adjust the tone, or add school-specific details directly in Attendance Plus. District-level templates can be shared across all schools so everyone uses consistent, approved messaging.
How do I track who responded?
Responses come in through ParentSquare just like any other two-way message. You can view reply threads, log outcomes in the student’s action history, and assign follow-up tasks to team members, all within Attendance Plus.
Is ParentSquare Attendance Plus a paid feature?
Yes, ParentSquare Attendance Plus is a paid add-on. If you’re not currently using it and want to learn more, request a demo at www.parentsquare.com/demo.
How does absence data get into Attendance Plus?
Absence data syncs automatically from your SIS through a secure file transfer (SFTP) or API connection. Period-level attendance will be available on a SIS-by-SIS basis for the 2026–2027 school year.
Who on my team should have access?
Access is permission-based. You can grant the “Attendance Team Member” role to any staff member, including principals, counselors, clerks, assistant principals, and teachers. Teacher-level access is also expanding for 2026–2027.