CASE STUDY
In a city with one of Maryland’s highest chronic absenteeism rates, Dunbar needed students to want to show up. With morning check ins and rewards tied to attendance, daily attendance passed the school’s 90% goal.
- 93%daily attendance
- 600+morning check ins a day
- 72,000behaviors logged
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Solutions used
THE CHALLENGE
Students Needed a Reason to Show Up
Baltimore has one of the highest chronic absenteeism rates in Maryland. Principal Dr. Yatunde Reeves wanted to reduce chronic absenteeism by tracking attendance accurately and giving students a reason to arrive on time, recognizing them for meeting expectations instead of only disciplining missteps. Rules like the uniform policy were enforced differently from class to class, detentions were inconsistent, and the school juggled several disconnected systems for IDs, check ins, rewards, and interventions.
Key problem areas:
- Slow morning check ins and attendance tracking
- Hard to spot and address chronic absenteeism
- Little visibility into behavior trends
- Detentions issued without clear communication
- Parents rarely heard about attendance or behavior
It’s about more than tracking data. It’s about making students feel seen. I want to track on-time attendance, but I also want to say thank you. This helps me do both.”
THE SOLUTION
Check Ins, Consequences, and Rewards in One Place
A teacher found Minga while looking for digital hall passes, and it quickly became the school’s system for attendance, behavior, and incentives. Each morning, students scan their digital IDs to check in.
If they’re late or out of uniform, Minga logs it, notifies staff and parents, and handles the follow-up. Check in data also feeds the rewards program, so students see a clear link between showing up and being recognized, with prizes from school gear to music events.
What Minga offered:
- Morning check ins with digital IDs
- Automatic logs and follow-ups for tardies, absences, and uniform issues
- Parent notifications on attendance and behavior
- Rewards tied to attendance and behavior
- Dashboards that flag trends early
Tracking on-time attendance is important, but having a system that seamlessly combines digital check ins, behavior management, and student incentives made Minga a true one-stop shop.”
THE OUTCOMES
Tackling Chronic Absenteeism, One Check In at a Time
93% daily attendance
Attendance passed the school’s 90% goal, with real-time data for leaders.
Check ins students look forward to
With 600+ check ins a day, students see scanning in as a quick way to earn rewards.
Rewards students value
Meeting expectations leads to school-branded gear and access to exclusive events.
Fair, automatic consequences
Late arrivals and uniform issues are logged and followed up the same way in every classroom.
Parents more involved
Families get notified about attendance and behavior, and some even come in to collect prizes for their kids.
Problems caught early
Dashboards show check ins, student movement, behavior trends, and missed detentions, so leaders can step in quickly.
Students talk to each other about meeting the check in criteria. Parents even show up to collect prizes for their kids!”
See How Minga Can Help Tackle Chronic Absenteeism at Your School
Get results like Paul Laurence Dunbar High. Schedule a 30-minute demo and see how Minga can help you tackle chronic absenteeism.
