MDE outlines Compass attendance program with guidebook and statewide supports

Angela Mansfield, assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education, briefed the House Education Policy Committee on the Compass attendance effort, a statewide initiative designed to strengthen student engagement and reduce chronic absenteeism.

Mansfield described the Compass attendance team's work to provide guidance, professional learning and technical assistance to districts, charter and tribal schools. "Compass attendance exists to help every district, charter school and tribal-controlled school in Minnesota improve student engagement and reduce chronic absenteeism," she said.

MDE released a Compass attendance guidebook on Oct. 31, 2025, Mansfield said, and has launched three free professional learning pathways for the 2025-26 school year that pair structured training with hands-on technical assistance: (1) integrating attendance into continuous-improvement cycles, (2) building collaborative attendance teams, and (3) data-driven attendance strategies.

Mansfield reported participation from dozens of districts and named pilot partners including Burnsville and Minneapolis. The department also offers no-cost consultations and co-develops coding and reporting standards to create statewide consistency.

Committee members were offered the department's perspective that attendance is shaped by cross-sector factors and that stronger interagency collaboration and permanent funding for Compass staff will be necessary to sustain statewide supports.

MDE requested that policymakers consider ongoing appropriations to maintain the temporary staff currently supporting the Compass work.