How One Principal Cut Chronic Absenteeism in Half - IPA Talk

May 20, 2026  46 min

Chronic absenteeism is one of the toughest problems in K-12 today. In this IPA Talk, Dr. Christopher Graves, principal of Jordan Community Elementary School, walks through how his team cut chronic absenteeism by over 50% in three years at a school where students come from more than 40 countries and speak 30-plus languages.

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0:00 Welcome and Introductions
3:30 30 Languages, One Community
14:27 Cutting Chronic Absenteeism in Half
26:14 Tough Attendance Conversations
37:34 Fulbright Lessons from London