75 Professionals Earn the First National Attendance Certification at the 2026 Indiana Attendance Science Institute
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana. Attendance USA certified its first national cohort of Certified Attendance Professionals™ at the 2026 Indiana Attendance Science Institute, held September 17-18 at the MSD Warren Township Moorhead Community Resource Center. Seventy-five educators and community professionals completed the certification and received their credentials at the closing ceremony on the second morning.
The Institute carried the theme “Where Attendance Science Meets Community Action.” Attendance USA presented it in partnership with the Moorhead Community Resource Center and Project Rebuild. James Taylor, Director of Student Services for MSD Warren Township, convened the event.
Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, founder and CEO of Attendance USA, and Shelneka Adams-Marsalone, Executive Director and trainer, led the Certification Track. Participants worked through the Level 1 modules in Attendance Science™: chronic absenteeism fundamentals, attendance culture, role-specific interventions, attendance data analysis, family engagement and stability, and housing, hunger, and homelessness. The program also offered 16 PGP hours, an Engagement Track, school visits, and a community provider session that connected schools with the partners who support families.
The cohort marks a milestone for the field. Attendance now has a national, science-based credential for the adults who meet students at the door. Each certified professional can read attendance data, classify absence by its cause, and respond with support that fits the child and the family.
“These 75 professionals are the first of many. When the adults in a school understand why a child is absent, the school stops counting empty seats and starts filling them.”
Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, founder and CEO, Attendance USA
Certified Attendance Professional™ Level 1 enrollment is open now at attendanceusa.org/training, with group enrollment available. Graduates may continue into the advanced certifications: Certified Attendance Specialist, Certified Attendance Master, and Certified Attendance Fellow.
Media contact: Shelneka Adams-Marsalone, Executive Director, Attendance USA Press Office · info@attendanceusa.org