Abstract
School absenteeism has significant social, academic and economic consequences, creating an urgent need to understand and address its rising prevalence. Absenteeism is shaped by factors across individual, family, school and community domains, and recent scholarship highlights the value of family–school–community partnerships in improving attendance. This systematic review included studies investigating family–school partnerships to promote attendance in K-12 settings, exploring how family–school partnerships are formed and their influence on student attendance. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with Open Science Framework [10.17605/OSF.IO/DH6T4]. Nine databases were searched on 6 March 2024: ERIC, Education Database, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, Social Science Database, Social Services Abstracts and Web of Science, yielding 37 eligible studies for a narrative synthesis, which also underwent quality appraisals using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. To explore partnerships through a systemic perspective, findings were interpreted through Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory and Epstein’s (1995) six types of involvement framework. Results showed that family–school partnerships enabled preventive and responsive initiatives to address attendance. Improvements in attendance were linked to increased availability of and expanded access to support for students and families, through coordinated family–school efforts. Findings also suggest extending Epstein’s framework to include initiatives centred on parental agency and the quality of family–school relationships. Adopting a systemic lens, this review highlights the importance of considering the multi-layered connections across families, schools and communities when designing attendance initiatives. Future research should explore how family–school partnerships can include communities to address contextual and structural barriers to attendance.
Context and implications
Rationale for this study: This study was undertaken in response to rising attendance challenges and increasing strain on family–school partnerships, examining how these partnerships are established and shape attendance.
Why the new findings matter: Findings are significant in emphasising the importance of multilayered interpersonal connections and structural factors underlying attendance, highlighting conditions for supporting attendance and family–school partnerships.
Implications for practitioners and policy-makers: Findings from this review highlight the value of an ecological systems perspective when promoting school attendance, particularly by leveraging the influence of family–school partnerships. When families and schools work together, they can support attendance through responsive approaches that address emerging problems, as well as preventive approaches that minimise the likelihood of issues arising. Partnerships also enable families and schools to implement practices that not only target attendance directly but also consider the broader contexts of students’ lives, such as family circumstances or environmental conditions, that may ultimately affect attendance at school.