Edia, an edtech company, is using artificial intelligence (AI) to target chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools across the country.
The company recently unveiled its new AI-powered platform, which enables schools to identify and tackle the root causes of chronic absenteeism. Within minutes of being notified of an absence, the platform initiates personalized AI-driven conversations with families in more than 100 languages.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing just under one month of classes, has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 26 percent nationally. Chronic absenteeism is estimated to be responsible for up to 27 percent of the overall decline in math test scores and 45 percent of the drop in reading scores between 2019 and 2022.
“Today, nearly three-quarters of absences are unexplained, meaning no one called in ahead of time and districts don’t know where those children are,” said Joe Philleo, CEO of Edia. “With so many students missing school, staff don’t have the capacity to reach out to every single family and understand what is happening with their child.”
In a press release, Edia highlighted a few features of its AI platform, including:
- Personalized text message conversations in 100+ languages sent to parents within minutes of an absence, reducing unexplained absences by up to 80 percent.
- Texts, calls, and notes are organized into a single profile to identify why students are missing school and enable teams to take the right set of actions.
- Ability to launch, track, and coordinate personalized intervention plans for students at risk.
“Every situation is different,” Philleo continued. “When staff don’t know the reason students are missing school, they can’t fix the root cause. One student may miss school because they don’t have reliable transportation, and another student may skip Math and English in the morning and just attend Computer and Welding at the end of the day because they find those classes more engaging.”
Edia’s new solution is currently in use in K-12 school districts nationwide, including Raton Public Schools, Farmington Municipal Schools, and Hobbs Municipal Schools.
“Chronic absenteeism is a significant issue in education and in the Raton Public Schools that can severely impact student achievement and the long-term success of a student,” said Kristie Medina, superintendent at Raton Public Schools. “The challenge of chronic absenteeism lies in its widespread impact, affecting not just individual students but the entire school community. By leveraging AI, the district can gain deeper insights into attendance patterns, identify at-risk students earlier, and tailor interventions more effectively.”
