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DPSCD says $200 attendance incentive linked to dip in high-school chronic absenteeism
Summary
Superintendent and staff told the Detroit Public Schools Community District board an incentive that pays $200 for 10 consecutive school days corresponded with higher perfect-attendance counts and a 5-point drop in high-school chronic absenteeism; district officials say the program is one of several strategies and will be evaluated at year end.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Detroit Public Schools Community District board on Feb. 11 that a $200 incentive for students who attend 10 consecutive school days has coincided with measurable attendance improvements at the high-school level.
The district reported roughly “about 1,700 more high school students with perfect attendance apples to apples compared to the previous year” after two incentive cycles, and Vitti said chronic absenteeism at the high-school level has improved by about five percentage points — roughly 700 students — compared with the same point last year.
Why it matters: Attendance affects classroom learning and district funding; spring and fall enrollment counts feed state aid, and the district said changing attendance patterns can change academic-growth measures.
Details and district response School leaders explained the incentive: students earn a $200 award if they are present for 10 consecutive days and present for each class period during those days, unless away for a school-sponsored event. Vitti said the program was intended as one of multiple strategies and that district data suggest the incentive influenced attendance for a range of students — from those who were already high attenders to some who had been missing substantial school.
Vitti provided a breakdown of recipients’ prior attendance: “Roughly, 10% of students that have received the, the incentive have had about 10% have already had perfect attendance,” he said, adding that “about 4% of students are already chronically absent” yet still received awards, and that others fell across intermediate categories.
Board members pressed for more follow-up. Several asked for surveys or interviews to learn why some students still do not participate and whether the program is reaching intended at‑risk groups. Vice Chair and other board members urged rapid qualitative outreach to chronically absent students and recommended continuing the district-wide incentive communications and school-level outreach (robocalls, PA announcements, attendance agents and home visits).
Next steps Vitti said district staff will provide the board a post‑program analysis at the end of the school year and noted the board will decide whether to continue, scale or modify the incentive. He also said the incentive was one of a number of strategies tied to the district’s broader strategic goals for a 3–5 percentage point improvement in chronic absenteeism.
Ending Board members said they want ongoing, disaggregated data — including whether the effect persists, which subgroups improved most and whether transportation or school climate remain major barriers.
