Salt Lake City School District Selects Edia Learning, Inc. to Power AI-Driven Attendance Solution
The Salt Lake City School District (SLCSD) has partnered with Edia Learning, Inc. to implement an AI-powered attendance solution aimed at significantly reducing chronic absenteeism among its students. The initiative intends to cut the absentee rate from 28% to 10% by 2029, which would return thousands of instructional days to the district's more than 18,000 students.
Chronic absenteeism, characterized as missing 10% or more of the school year, is linked to long-term academic challenges, particularly in urban areas with diverse, multilingual student populations. SLCSD reported that last year, 29% of its students were chronically absent, with each student missing nearly a full month of instruction. The district's demographics show that 59% of its students are people of color, 48% are economically disadvantaged, and over 80 languages are spoken in the community.
Edia Learning's attendance solution is designed to improve communication with families through two-way AI-driven conversations via SMS. The technology automatically identifies each family's preferred language among more than 100 options, allowing for responses in native languages. This function ensures that communication barriers are minimized, as staff receive translations in English.
"Every day a student is absent is a day of learning we can't get back," said Superintendent Elizabeth Grant. She emphasized the partnership's focus on addressing attendance gaps through meaningful conversations rather than relying solely on traditional notifications such as letters or robocalls.
Once an absence is recorded, Edia reaches out to families within minutes to inquire about the reason. If deeper issues such as transportation difficulties or personal crises arise during conversations, the platform flags these for follow-up by staff. Attendance data, along with insights from parent interactions, are accessible through shared dashboards for counselors, administrators, and teachers to better identify and support students in need.
Joe Philleo, CEO of Edia, expressed gratitude for the partnership, stating, "SLCSD's commitment to reaching every family, in every language, mirrors exactly why we built Edia. We're excited to support their team in the work ahead."