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Attendance Trend Analysis

Zion’s trend analysis helps you understand attendance patterns over time, identify concerning declines, and celebrate improvements. This guide covers how to use the trends dashboard effectively.

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Accessing Trend Analysis

1. Navigate to Attendance in the sidebar
2. Click Trends submenu
3. View the trend analysis dashboard

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The Trends Dashboard

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Time Range Selection

Choose your analysis period:

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Centre Filter

Administrators:

• “All Centres” for school-wide view
• Select specific centre for focused analysis

Supervisors:

• Limited to assigned centres only

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Trend Chart

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Reading the Chart

X-Axis: Dates in selected range Y-Axis: Attendance rate (0-100%) Data Points:

• Each point represents one school day
• Height shows attendance rate for that day
• Line connects points to show trend

Visual Indicators:

• Green zone: >85% attendance
• Yellow zone: 70-85% attendance
• Red zone: <70% attendance

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Trend Patterns

Improving Trend

• Line slopes upward over time
• Later dates have higher rates
• Indicates positive momentum

Declining Trend

• Line slopes downward over time
• Later dates have lower rates
• Requires investigation and intervention

Stable Trend

• Line relatively flat
• Consistent attendance level
• Good if high, concerning if low

Cyclical Pattern

• Regular ups and downs
• Often weekly patterns (Monday dips, Friday dips)
• May indicate predictable challenges

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Trend Summary

Below the chart, Zion provides key insights:

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Summary Metrics

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Trend Direction Logic

Improving: Recent 1/3 of period averages >5% higher than first 1/3 Declining: Recent 1/3 of period averages >5% lower than first 1/3 Stable: Difference between periods is <5%

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Centre Comparison

For administrators, compare attendance across centres:

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Comparison Chart

• Bar chart showing each centre’s average rate
• Centers ordered by attendance rate (highest first)
• Color coding: green/yellow/red based on performance

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Using Comparison Data

Identify High Performers:

• Which centres consistently have >90% attendance?
• What practices can be shared school-wide?

Identify Struggling Centres:

• Which centres are below 80%?
• Do they need additional support?

Fair Comparison:

• Consider student population differences
• Larger centres may have more variation
• Check if chronic issues or temporary dips

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Day-of-Week Analysis

Understand which days have attendance challenges:

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Weekly Pattern

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Using Day Analysis

If Monday is Consistently Low:

• Consider Monday incentives
• Review weekend communication with parents
• Check for schedule conflicts

If Friday is Consistently Low:

• Emphasize Friday attendance importance
• Consider engaging Friday activities
• Watch for early pickup patterns

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Interpreting Trends

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Healthy Trend Indicators

• Attendance rate consistently >90%
• No individual days below 80%
• Improving or stable trend direction
• Minimal day-of-week variation

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Warning Signs

• Overall rate below 85%
• Multiple days below 75%
• Declining trend over 2+ weeks
• Specific days consistently problematic

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Action Triggers

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Common Patterns and Causes

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Seasonal Patterns

September/January: Lower attendance at term start (adjustment period) December/June: Lower attendance at term end (fatigue, early holidays) Weather Events: Snow, extreme heat can affect attendance

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Event-Related Dips

After Long Weekends: Often see lower Monday attendance Before Holidays: Families may leave early After Holidays: Re-engagement takes a few days

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Chronic Issues

Consistent Low Days: May indicate systemic problems

• Transportation issues on certain days
• Conflicting community activities
• Parent work schedule patterns

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Taking Action on Trends

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For Declining Trends

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For Stable Low Trends

If attendance is consistently low but stable:

1. This is a systemic issue, not temporary
2. Requires comprehensive intervention
3. Consider:
   • Parent engagement campaigns
   • Attendance incentive programs
   • Transportation solutions
   • Schedule adjustments

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For Improving Trends

When things are going well:

1. Document what’s working
2. Share best practices across centres
3. Recognize and reward improvements
4. Maintain successful strategies

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Export Trend Data

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CSV Export

Export raw trend data for further analysis:

1. Click Export button on trends page
2. Select date range and centres
3. Download CSV with daily data

CSV Contains:

• Date
• Centre name
• Total students
• Present count
• Absent count
• Late count
• Attendance rate

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Use Cases

• Create custom charts in Excel
• Historical analysis
• Board presentations
• Year-over-year comparisons

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Best Practices

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Regular Review Schedule

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Documentation

• Screenshot significant trend changes
• Note correlations with events
• Track intervention effectiveness
• Build historical knowledge

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Team Communication

• Share trend insights in staff meetings
• Celebrate improvements publicly
• Address concerns privately with affected centres
• Collaborate on solutions

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