School-home collaboration in the prevention and follow-up of school absenteeism: a mixed-methods systematic review
Systematic review
|Published
The objective of this systematic knowledge summary is to study the effects of and experiences with interventions aimed at school-home collaboration, to prevent or follow up on absenteeism at all school levels – as well as experiences with school-home collaboration.
Key message
Children and youth have the right to public primary and secondary education. Student absenteeism is a growing problem, with potentially serious consequences for both the individual and society.
Our research question was: How can we facilitate and promote good school-home collaboration in the prevention and follow-up of school absenteeism? We conducted a mixed-method systematic review. We included 38 studies (published 2010-2025): 23 qualitative, 13 quantitative, and 2 mixed-method studies. We assessed the studies’ methodological quality and synthesized and analyzed the results, separately for effect and experience, and in an integrated manner. Main findings:
Quantitative results (studies mostly from USA)
- Interventions that improve and intensify communication between school and home – particularly when the information is targeted, frequent, and easy to understand – might reduce absenteeism.
- The effect was generally best for students who initially have high absenteeism.
Qualitative findings (studies mostly from Norway)
- Good communication between school and home was important for a shared understanding, early intervention, and tailored follow-up of students with absenteeism.
- The school's competence and organization were crucial.
Integrated findings
- Six central characteristics from the qualitative studies (competence, early intervention, role clarification, communication, relationship, and flexibility) were only partially reflected in the interventions examined in the quantitative studies.
Intervention research that can further strengthen school-home collaboration in a Nordic context is needed.
Summary
Introduction
Children and young people in Norway have the right and obligation to attend public primary education from the year they turn six until they complete the 10th grade, according to the Education Act. After finishing primary school, youth have the right to further secondary education. The school is an important arena for the learning, development, and social contact of children and young people. Being at school and participating in the activities is essential for pupils' learning outcomes and for schools to provide pupils with good social and academic support.
School absenteeism is a serious and increasing problem with potentially high costs for both individuals and society. It is important that schools, school owners, and collaborating services prevent school absenteeism and follow up pupils who are absent. School absenteeism has many and complex causes, related to school, the class, family, or the individual pupil, often in combination. Regardless of the causal factors present, schools have an obligation to follow up on pupils who are absent from education, from day one, regardless of cause.
The Education Act emphasizes the collaboration between school and home. Parents have the primary responsibility for their child's development, and their knowledge is important for the school. Research suggests that school-home collaboration is crucial for preventing absenteeism, as parents have profound knowledge of their child. Both the school and parents depend on good collaboration to succeed in preventing and/or following up on school absenteeism. Thus, promoting collaboration that supports pupils' development and well-being is vital.
Objective
The objective of this systematic knowledge summary is to study the effects of and experiences with interventions aimed at school-home collaboration, to prevent or follow up on absenteeism at all school levels – as well as experiences with school-home collaboration. The research question is: How can we facilitate and promote good school-home collaboration to 1) prevent school absenteeism and 2) follow up with pupils who are absent?
Method
We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review. We searched for studies of all designs (2010 to 2025) that addressed the effects of or experiences with school-home collaboration in a context of absenteeism. We searched international databases for studies from OECD countries and Nordic knowledge archives for Nordic studies and Norwegian master's theses. Studies from databases were screened by two researchers, while knowledge archives were manually reviewed. Searches in other sources yielded many relevant Norwegian master's theses, and we prioritized those with the most comprehensive data.
We assessed all included studies' risk of bias/methodological limitations with appropriate tools. From all the studies, we extracted relevant data. One project member conducted the initial assessment and data extraction, and another member checked it. We analysed data from quantitative and qualitative studies separately. It was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis, and we synthesized the results narratively in text and tables. Through the analysis of data from qualitative studies, we developed findings and used GRADE-CERQual to assess confidence in the findings. Finally, we integrated quantitative results and qualitative findings.
Results
Database searches and OpenAlex yielded a total of 14,903 references. We read 108 publications in full text and included 19. Searches from other sources yielded 2,966 references, of which we included 19 more studies. In total, we included 38: 13 quantitative, 2 mixed-methods, and 23 qualitative studies.
Quantitative and mixed-methods studies
In total, 15 studies examined primarily the effectiveness of intervention. The studies were conducted in the USA (n=13), the UK, and Chile, and included pupils, parents/guardians, teachers, and school staff. Six studies had low risk of bias, five moderate, and four high risk. Fourteen studies evaluated interventions to reduce absenteeism or improve school performance. They addressed various forms of parent-targeted interventions, such as absenteeism and academic performance notifications via phone/SMS, letters, postcards, and home visits. One study examined parents’ and caregivers' perceptions of receiving a specific intervention related to the pupils' school absenteeism.
Qualitative studies
Nine qualitative studies from European countries and 14 Norwegian master's theses investigated experiences with school-home collaboration in general. Most studies involved parents, followed by teachers and other school staff, while the fewest involved pupils. Six studies/master's theses had minor to moderate methodological limitations, eleven had moderate, and seven had moderate to large or large. Based on the qualitative material, we developed 33 findings. The findings covered prevention (2 findings), registration of absenteeism (1), communication (16), school transfer/transition (1), school organization (3), early detection/action (2), and school interventions (8).
Integrated Analysis
We evaluated whether the most central characteristics of good school-home collaboration (identified in the qualitative findings) were also present in the studied interventions (analysed in the quantitative studies). Six central characteristics – competence, early action, role clarification, communication, relationship, and flexibility – were only partially reflected in the studied interventions. Home visits and multi-faceted interventions contained most of the six characteristics of a good intervention. Interventions consisting of sending SMS or letters to parents about pupil absenteeism, possibly including consequences, included only few of the key characteristics.
Discussion
The quantitative results and qualitative findings were jointly evaluated in relation to the three-tiered intervention pyramid: Level 1 universal prevention (all pupils), Level 2 targeted early intervention (pupils at risk), and Level 3 intensive follow-up (pupils with high/long-term absence). At Level 1, quantitative studies showed that simple interventions such as SMS alerts and automated systems can help reduce absenteeism, but the qualitative findings nuance this by emphasizing that one-way communication is insufficient. Good relationships and two-way communication before problems arise appear crucial. At Level 2, effectiveness studies showed that personalized letters with specific absenteeism information can reduce absenteeism and that direct messaging from school staff to parents may have better effects than automated messages. However, both parents and staff emphasized that absenteeism must be detected early, and that school and home develop a shared understanding of the situation. Related to Level 3, where the qualitative studies provided the most significant contribution, the findings suggested rigid systems can backfire. Parents of pupils with high absenteeism described powerlessness and feelings of blame, and successful follow-up is characterized less by control routines and more by relational expertise, empathy, flexibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Conclusion
The review shows that successful school-home collaboration regarding absenteeism is based on genuine two-way dialogue and early relationship-building. Simple measures such as SMS alerts can have a preventive effect, while home visits particularly support relationship-building. Following up absenteeism requires trust, clarifications of responsibility, and communication tailored to each family. In cases of prolonged absenteeism, the situation is often complex, and school-home collaboration becomes a key element in more multi-faceted interventions. The evidence assessed in this review has limitations, including a lack of Nordic intervention studies and age-differentiated research, as well as an underrepresentation of fathers, minority language speakers and children/young people.