The $1 Million Question: Is Family Engagement Worth the Investment: Part 2
This is an updated article focusing on the relationship between family engagement and chronic absenteeism.
In the late 1970s, Steve Martin built a career out of taking ordinary ideas and showing, with mock seriousness, just how absurd logic can be. On his album Comedy is Not Pretty, he explained “How to become a Millionaire… and never pay taxes!” Step one:
1. Get a $1,000,000…
…and he quickly moved to the next phase. Too funny. The first action is the hardest to achieve, and little guidance is given on how to achieve it.
Turning research into reality often feels the same way. The first question we hit when trying to put findings into practice is always: “How do we get there from here?” Research takes place in carefully controlled environments. Real-world application runs into the messy constraints of time, funding, community culture, and human capacity. It’s one thing to say “we need more family engagement.” It’s quite another to make it happen in classrooms and communities every day. It’s like Steve Martin saying “Get a $1,000,000.”
ESSA approaches family engagement in a similar way.
What ESSA Says About Family Engagement
The “Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015” mandates that districts put into place additonal requirements concerning family engagement but leaves the “how” largely unanswered. Among the requirements*:
A school district may receive funds under Title I only if it conducts outreach to all parents and family members
It must demonstrably build school capacity for involvement by effectively engaging parents and family members in education
It must support regular two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that family members can understand.
Staff - teachers, principals, and support personnel - must be trained:
On the value of parent contributions,
How to partner with parents as equals,
How to coordinate programs and strengthen ties between home and school.
Districts and schools shall provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members, (including those with migratory children), access to information and school reports in a format, and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.
Wow!! That’s a lot of stuff! Where will the money come from? Well, ESSA dictates that each district shall reserve at least 1 percent of its Title I allocation to assist schools to carry out the parent and family engagement activities. This comes out to an average of $12 per year per student. How can districts accomplish these requirements within these financial constraints?
The Missing Piece: Measuring Impact
Interestingly, ESSA does not require measuring the effectiveness of the districts’ family engagement efforts. Without accountability, districts risk spending money to “check the box” instead of meeting the spirit of the law. Proper fiduciary responsibility means measuring effectiveness regardless of the regulation. It is in the district’s best interest to make sure that programs implemented deliver positive impact to its constituency.
Absenteeism: The Hidden Crisis That Makes Engagement Urgent
Since the pandemic, one challenge has quietly grown into a national concern: students simply aren’t showing up. Chronic absenteeism, once more isolated, is now a daily reality in schools across every type of community.
Educators talk about seeing the same empty seats day after day. Those absences aren’t just lost lessons; they’re missed opportunities for connection, support, and stability. The students most often affected are those already navigating barriers: poverty, unstable housing, health issues, or language differences.
Under ESSA, states must track more than test scores, and many now use chronic absenteeism as a measure of school performance. In practice, that means attendance problems can affect everything from state ratings to intervention decisions. When absenteeism rises, the pressure on districts grows; not just to record the numbers, but to address the underlying causes.
The truth is simple: you can’t teach the student who isn’t there. And while policy can highlight the problem, it’s often family engagement that holds the key to solving it.
How OPUS Bridges the Gap
Leaders already juggle a thousand urgent issues. Building a comprehensive engagement strategy from scratch isn’t realistic. That’s where One Green Apple’s OPUS comes in—helping districts meet ESSA’s requirements while going beyond compliance to impact.
Clear, meaningful outreach that parents understand and respond to.
Teacher insight into the home environment, strengthening the partnership between school and family.
Support for students without reliable family presence, ensuring no child falls through the cracks.
Measurement and accountability—tracking how engagement efforts influence attendance and performance, and documenting communication to build best practices.
With OPUS, family engagement becomes more than a mandate; it becomes a measurable driver of student success and a practical tool to combat chronic absenteeism.
The Steve Martin Lesson Revisited
The last part of Steve’s routine: “….and never pay taxes!” was to respond to the eventual IRS audit with two words: “I forgot,” soon followed by his famous line: “EXCUUUSSEEE MEEEE!”
No leader, let alone a district superintendent, could keep his job with such a cavalier attitude. Family engagement and chronic absenteeism is no laughing matter Chronic absenteeism isn’t a joke, and neither is family engagement; but if managed well, your parents and your Board will be left with smiles.
I invite you to connect with us and see how OPUS can turn ESSA’s vision into meaningful, measurable action.
Research & Sources Used
Attendance Works – “Continued High Levels of Chronic Absence with Some Improvements Require Action” (2024).
U.S. Department of Education – Chronic Absenteeism data and policy resources.
National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) – Chronic absenteeism analysis and ESSA accountability measures.
New York State Comptroller – “Missing School: Chronic Absenteeism in New York State” (2024).
Associated Press – “Chronic absenteeism crisis in US schools” (2023).
Times Union – “State Education Department changes chronic absenteeism calculation” (2024).
ESSA Law Text & Annenberg Institute – “A Quick Brief on Family Engagement in ESSA” by Anne T. Henderson.
