← Sample schools · Sample Rural Alternative High School (demo)
Root cause analysis
This is a sample analysis for a composite demo school. You can look through every step, but nothing can be changed or saved.
Proposal-ready text from your analysis. Copy each block into your application, then fill in anything in [brackets]. Saving the hand-off sends your confirmed root causes to the next planning tool.
Our chronic absenteeism rate was 88.4% in 2024-25; the state rate was 27.9%. Current: 88.4% (2024-25); desired: the state rate, 27.9%; student group: all students. We analyzed this under MTSS: attendance because this finding describes students who are not attending school.
We used a fishbone to sort 5 possible causes into spotting and responding to risk, student connection and supports, getting to school, and leadership, time, and structures, then asked "why" up to five times for the causes we control or influence. We recorded students arrive far behind on credits and many students work evening jobs to support their families as context outside our control and did not treat them as a root cause.
Root cause: we have no written attendance routine and no one owns it (early identification and response, RC4). Supporting evidence: Attendance log, 2025-26: 12% of absences received a same-week call; staff survey: 9 of 14 staff were unsure who follows up. This is within our control. Our confidence: high.
Causal theory to test: advisory has no check-in routine for students who were absent (student engagement and belonging, RC1). We will gather a student survey item on having a trusted adult, given in January to confirm it.
If we address we have no written attendance routine and no one owns it, then [what changes for students], so that our chronic absenteeism rate was 88.4% in 2024-25; the state rate was 27.9% improves.
Problem: Our chronic absenteeism rate was 88.4% in 2024-25; the state rate was 27.9%
Getting to school:
- Students who live outside town have no bus route after the first hour (We can influence it)
- Families hear about absences only through an automated call in English (Our control)
Spotting and responding to risk:
- No one contacts a student in the same week after a second absence (Our control)
Why 1: Attendance follow-up is left to whichever teacher notices
Why 2: We have no written attendance routine and no one owns it
Why 3: State funding limits how many support staff we can hire
Student connection and supports:
- Many students do not have an adult at school who checks in with them each week (We can influence it)
Why 1: Advisory time is used for announcements and credit recovery work
Why 2: Advisory has no check-in routine for students who were absent
Leadership, time, and structures:
- The MTSS team meets only when a crisis comes up (Our control)
Courses, credits, and pathways: no causes yet
Teaching and adult collaboration: no causes yet
Context outside our control:
- Students arrive far behind on credits
- Many students work evening jobs to support their families1 confirmed root cause (RC4) will be passed on.