Stephen Wakefield 
BALTIMORE, Md. — Oct.20, 2026 — Concentric Educational Solutions today opened enrollment for its 90-Day Winter Pilot Program, which pairs home visits from trained advocates with research-backed analysis to reach chronically absent students in the second half of the school year. The pilot runs Jan. 15 through April 15, 2027, during the months when attendance drops most. Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, chief of research at Concentric and a professor at Howard University, will lead the national pilot cohort. Districts pay $15,000 per school, a fraction of the funding at stake when students disengage. Cohort spots are limited, and enrollment closes Dec. 11. Concentric will host a free 30-minute webinar on Nov. 17 for district leaders considering the pilot.
Chronic absenteeism is commonly defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason. According to an American Enterprise Institute analysis, the national rate peaked at about 28% in 2021-22, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates have dropped since then, but more than one in five students (22.6%) still missed too much school in 2024-25, based on data from 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Winter makes every barrier behind those absences heavier. Flu season keeps sick students home, along with older siblings who care for them. Freezing mornings make long walks to school unsafe for students without a winter coat or a reliable ride. Heating bills, holiday expenses, and unstable housing push families into crisis, and children who count on school meals go without during winter break. After two weeks away, students who struggled in the fall return to the same problems at home, and a few missed days in January become a pattern by February. None of these barriers shows up in a student information system, and no automated text or phone call will fix them. The Winter Pilot Program reaches these students while there is still time to turn the school year around.
The pilot includes:
Districtwide root-cause analysis. Toldson and the Concentric research team conduct ethnographic research across participating schools, drawing on what families share during home visits, to identify the recurring themes and systemic factors behind absenteeism. They tie those findings to district strategy and practice.
Pilot school implementation. Professional Student Advocates conduct 150 home visits per school for students who are chronically absent, disengaged, or at risk of withdrawal. They hold structured conversations with families to uncover what keeps each student home, then work with district officials to connect each family to the appropriate supports. The advocates are culturally competent, trauma-informed, and reflect the communities they serve. Every interaction follows Concentric’s C.A.R.E.S. framework, developed through a 2024 study of the organization’s advocates. The framework centers on cultural responsiveness, advocacy, relationship building, encompassing support, and shared commitment. Families decide whether to take part and what to share. Advocates show up to support families, not to watch them.
Comprehensive reporting and recommendations. Concentric360, the organization’s engagement and data platform, captures home visit activity, identified barriers, and engagement outcomes in real time. At the end of the pilot, Toldson and the research team deliver a district-level report with root-cause findings, pilot school outcomes, and recommendations leaders will carry into the spring and the 2027-28 school year.
Districts provide a designated pilot lead, access to attendance and contact data, and time for check-ins with Concentric every two weeks. District and school staff are welcome to join advocates on ride-alongs. Concentric handles the fieldwork.
District leaders who want to learn more before enrolling are invited to a free webinar, “Why Students Disappear After Winter Break, and How to Bring Them Back,” on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). Toldson will present the research behind winter absenteeism and the barriers home visits uncover, and Paul DeAngelis, regional partnerships director at Concentric, will walk through pilot dates, cost, and what districts provide. The 30-minute session closes with live questions. Superintendents, assistant superintendents, attendance and student services directors, and principals are encouraged to attend. Registration is open, and everyone who registers will receive a recording.
“January gives districts a second chance at the school year,” said Molly Hebert Loyd, CEO of Concentric Educational Solutions. “The students who struggled in the fall are still within reach. Every absence has a story behind it, and the weeks after winter break are when schools have the best shot at hearing it.”
For nearly two decades, Concentric has partnered with school systems nationwide to re-engage students, restore trust, and strengthen systems of support. Its advocates have conducted more than 400,000 home visits, helped re-engage more than 200,000 students, and identified more than 70 distinct barriers to attendance.
District leaders will find pilot details, enrollment information, and webinar registration at https://concentriced.org/winter-pilot-2026. Enrollment closes Dec. 11.
To learn more about Concentric Educational Solutions and Concentric360, visit www.concentriced.org, follow the organization on X, or connect on LinkedIn.
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