Meanwhile, a Maritime school board saw nearly 70% of high school students chronically absent last year. Many schools struggle when it comes to tracking the reasons for absences or effectively monitoring online attendance.
As they grapple with multilayered mental health struggles and systemic barriers, immigrant and refugee youth often have a hard time consistently attending school. While the link between attendance and long-term success is well-established, the underlying causes of absenteeism in these groups remain largely unexplored.
To address this gap, uOttawa Faculty of Education Professor Jess Whitley, who holds the University Research Chair on Inclusion, Mental Health and School Attendance, has partnered with the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO). OCISO brings extensive experience in settlement and integration services for immigrants and refugees; they work in partnership with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada as well as local school boards, while Professor Whitley contributes academic research methods and a data-informed lens.
Building on a seven-year partnership, their work is now supported by a $10,000 Community-Based Research (CBR) grant from the University of Ottawa. This new funding program seeks to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical application.
Research and community knowledge: a critical partnership
The new grant will help the team integrate OCISO’s Multicultural Liaison Officers (MLOs) into the collaborative effort. MLO services include guiding newcomers unfamiliar with Canada’s education system, connecting newcomer students and parents with community services, and fostering a welcoming environment by building intercultural skills among school staff. These officers serve as vital bridges between schools and newcomer families, addressing challenges such as cultural misunderstandings and the stigma surrounding mental health.
Whitley’s research will explore how MLO efforts influence school attendance and student well-being, with a focus on effective strategies and areas for improvement. It will also examine larger obstacles — such as policies or limited access to resources — that make it harder for families to ensure consistent attendance.
“As part of their work, MLOs collect a wealth of data related to student wellbeing and attendance, but we lack the capacity to fully analyze it. This grant will help us establish processes to support ongoing research and strengthen evaluation and knowledge-sharing within OCISO and with our partners,” says Maria Teresa Garcia, Program Manager, MLO program.
Restoring the family’s role in addressing absenteeism
Families are essential to keeping students engaged, yet many immigrant and refugee parents face obstacles, such as cultural misunderstandings, language barriers and unfamiliarity with the school system.
These challenges can leave parents feeling disconnected, which often affects their children’s attendance.
“The role of families cannot be overstated here,” says Professor Whitley. “When parents or guardians feel alienated from the school system, children are more likely to miss school. Engaging families as partners fosters trust and creates a shared sense of responsibility for students’ success.”
The project aims to recognize the family-school bond while identifying unrecognized or stigmatized mental health concerns. By integrating mental health support into this dynamic, the research seeks to better understand how to equip families to navigate education and tackle absenteeism at its root.
Lived experiences drive effective interventions
This initiative centres on the lived experiences of immigrant and refugee families. According to the uOttawa professor, working with OCISO has revealed previously underestimated complexities, such as how cultural views on education affect attendance.
Some families may prioritize household or financial responsibilities over regular school attendance due to cultural or economic pressures. For example, Amal was kept home to help care for younger siblings while her mother went to work.
These insights have inspired Whitley’s research team to develop new research questions that better capture the full range of family dynamics and educational values.
“Our work focuses on solutions created with the community, not just for it,” says Professor Whitley. “This reciprocal partnership ensures interventions are culturally relevant, sustainable and deeply rooted in lived experiences.”
Barriers and opportunities for policy change
Chronic absenteeism has been associated with higher early school dropout rates, which can negatively impact mental health, financial stability and academic achievement over time. This disproportionately affects marginalized students, deepening cycles of exclusion and limiting opportunities.
Improving outcomes requires policy change, but systemic barriers often stand in the way. Whitley highlights how a lack of coordination between government bodies at various levels leads to fragmented approaches.
“Community-based research offers a holistic perspective that captures a far wider range of factors and insights than strictly traditional metrics allow,” she says. “By addressing local needs while informing systemic solutions, we can ensure interventions make a real difference where they’re needed most.”
