Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green | Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has issued a reminder that the deadline for the Attendance Matters RI Student Video Contest is December 31, 2025. The contest invites secondary students from public middle and high schools in Rhode Island to create short videos promoting the importance of regular school attendance. This year, eligibility has been expanded to include middle school students.
Participants are asked to submit videos between 30 seconds and three minutes in length. Each video must define chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of school days—about 18 days per year—include the phrase “Attendance Matters, Rhode Island,” and be aimed at a specific audience such as students, families, or educators.
“Students are the most powerful messengers when it comes to changing the culture around attendance,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “We know that each school day matters with a clear link between consistent attendance and academic achievement. We’re excited to see even more voices join the campaign and help us spread the word that showing up every day truly matters.”
Recent data from RIDE shows that chronic absenteeism rates in Rhode Island have declined from 24.7% in the 2023–2024 school year to 22.1% in 2024–2025, resulting in over 142,000 additional days attended by students statewide. However, results from SurveyWorks indicate that only about one-third of students in grades six through twelve believe missing 18 days of school could significantly affect their chances of graduating. In comparison, higher percentages of families, educators, and administrators recognize this risk. State assessment data also highlights an achievement gap exceeding twenty percentage points between chronically absent students and their peers.
Winning entries will be showcased on http://attendancemattersri.org, shared via social media platforms, and presented at events across the state. Prizes for winners include a video production kit for first place, a professional photography bundle for second place, a vlogging kit for third place, and a $250 gift card to Hunt’s Photo and Video for the People’s Choice Award.
To participate, students must submit a signed consent form to AttendanceMatters@ride.ri.gov before receiving instructions on how to upload their videos securely. All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM on December 31, 2025.
Additional details about contest rules and resources can be found at http://attendancemattersri.org/videocontest.
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