Helping schools reengage students through one-on-one mentoring programs and research backed practices.

“Chronic absenteeism is rarely the sole barrier to student achievement. Absenteeism may be a symptom of other issues that hinder student learning, such as socioeconomic distress, health barriers, or cultural and social exclusion.”

-Black, Seder and Kekahio 2014

Let’s work together.

We want to partner with your school to create a tailored plan to fit your school’s
attendance and reengagement goals.

We offer consultation, training for tutors and mentors, data management, and program development services.

Our Work in Action:

In partnership with the Burlington-Edison School District, we’ve designed and implemented TAP In, a Tutoring and Advocacy Program, as a Tier 2 & Tier 3 intervention aimed at reengaging students who struggle with chronic absenteeism or are showing warning signs of disengagement. And it’s working!

TAP In is a holistic, research-based, and student-centered approach where students are given the choice to participate and are actively involved in creating their success plans.

 
 

"[My mentor] helped me so much and made me feel comfortable to come back to school and work harder and I feel like she had a positive impact on my grades and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have graduated."

-BE Senior Student, 2021

 

Pairing students with an adult mentor is a pillar of TAP In. Numerous studies have shown the positive impacts a mentor can have for students both in the classroom and outside of it.

 “Students who reported having a mentor were less likely to fail courses, had higher GPA’s, and averaged more credits a semester than students who did not have mentors. Further, the researchers found evidence of an increase in attending and persisting in college, as well as an increase in lifetime earning.”

- School-based Mentoring Relationships and Human Capital Formation, July 2021

TAP In is designed to reengage students by working one-on-one with a mentor, directly addressing barriers to success, and creating individualized, student-centered success plans.

“I look forward going to school because of you, I’m truly thankful for you and your support."
-BE Senior Student, 2022

Nearly 80% of the students who have participated in TAP In have seen an increase in their attendance.

An important element of TAP In is that it’s a completely voluntary service. This means students have the choice to opt in or not.

Even with this option, over 95% of the students who have been approached about TAP In have decided to opt in. It’s because of this personal “buy-in” that we’ve seen the successes we have.

The chart above shows the total number of absences for a student at Burlington-Edison High School for the current school year broken down by week. Tracking and managing student data informs not only our decisions for student plans, but also helps us evaluate the impact our program is having on students.

How We Got to Where We Are

  • September 2020

    Created in response to COVID-19 to help students, families, and teachers with the new challenge of virtual schooling, Busy Bear Education was founded as an online education support option.

  • Early 2021

    Busy Bear started working on-site in schools to support Mckinney-Vento students get connected to the resources they need most, including: transportation, academic support, access to food and clothing, and more.

  • Late 2021

    Busy Bear shifted focus to address the issue of chronic absenteeism that was exacerbated by COVID-19. Reengagement initiatives were carried out through home visits, 1:1 mentoring, truancy board advocates, regular family communication, and collaboration with school and community resources to support student attendance.

  • Today

    As we approach the beginning of a new school year, Busy Bear will be working with the Burlington-Edison School District to support students who are chronically absent and failing one or more classes through our TAP In program.