Dissertation Defense Announcement Ed.D. Program: John Bird “Impact of Student-Mentor Text Messaging on Chronic Absenteeism”

Chronic absenteeism remains a pervasive challenge in education, disproportionately affecting underserved communities and hindering academic achievement. This dissertation explores the impact of the Titan Connect program, a student-mentor text messaging initiative, on reducing absenteeism and fostering student engagement in a suburban New Jersey high school. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study employs a Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) to analyze causal effects of the intervention and qualitative interviews with mentor teachers to uncover program strengths, weaknesses, and barriers to implementation.

Quantitative findings reveal a slight reduction in absences among treated students, though the results were not statistically significant. However, qualitative interviews underscore the program’s success in fostering mentor-student relationships, providing non-punitive support, and addressing socio-emotional barriers to attendance. Themes such as personalized communication, the importance of mentorships, and challenges related to implementation fidelity emerged as critical factors influencing program outcomes.

The study’s limitations include sample size constraints, variability in implementation fidelity, and the reliance on mentor perspectives without direct student input. Despite these challenges, the findings suggest that relational, zero-cost interventions like Titan Connect hold promise for addressing absenteeism when integrated into broader multi-tiered systems of support.

Implications for policy highlight the need for increased support for mentorship programs at state and national levels, enhanced training for mentors, and a shift toward non-punitive, relationship-based strategies to improve attendance. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on chronic absenteeism, emphasizing the importance of leveraging social connections to support student success. Future research should expand on this work by incorporating longitudinal analyses, diverse school settings, and direct student perspectives.