Term №1 — Field of Study
Attendance Science
/əˈtɛn.dəns ˈsaɪ.əns/ n.
The science behind showing up.
The evidence-based study of why students attend school and how to improve it — grounded in testable theory, measured through validated instruments, and applied through a systematic evidence framework that turns attendance data into falsifiable, self-correcting knowledge rather than administrative record-keeping.
Pioneered by Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty — Founder & CEO, Attendance USA; global attendance scholar and researcher.
Three Pillars of the Field
Testable Theory
Grounded in Social Bond Theory (Hirschi), applying its four constructs — attachment, involvement, belief, and commitment — to explain the mechanisms behind whether a student shows up.
Validated Measurement
Operationalized through the PSSB (Perception of School Social Bonding) instrument, which quantifies social bonding as a measurable predictor of attendance.
Systematic Evidence Framework
Applied through PRESENCE — Problem, Research, Environmental, Statistical, Equity, Network, Compliance, Evidence-based — converting raw attendance data into falsifiable, self-correcting knowledge.
In Short
Attendance treated not as a number to track, but as a measurable construct — with mechanisms, predictors, and replicable evidence behind every recommendation.
— Defined by Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty