Seven local superintendents are among the 35 in Connecticut and 803 nationwide to sign the Superintendents Call to Action, a pledge to prioritize student attendance this school year.

The superintendents of New London, Norwich, Groton, Stonington, Waterford, East Lyme and Ledyard are among those who signed the pledge from Attendance Works, a nonprofit with a mission of reducing chronic absenteeism, defined as missing more than 10 percent of school days in a year.

The call to action urges superintendents to make clear that improved attendance is a top priority, use data to raise awareness and track targets, and mobilize the community, such as parents, elected officials, libraries, local businesses and clergy.

Chronic absenteeism is one of 12 factors the Connecticut State Department of Education uses to assess school districts for its Next Generation Accountability System, and it's one of the factors that got Groton named an Alliance District.

But a recent report from Attendance Works showed that on the whole, Connecticut fares better than most states on chronic absenteeism.

Connecticut had the fifth highest number of superintendents signing the call to action, after California, 133; Oregon, 97; Kentucky, 49, and Washington, 49.

Attendance Works provides tools and tips for planning, self-assessment, messaging and calculating data.

Attendance Works Executive Director Hedy Chang and the heads of nine other national nonprofits had written to superintendents across the country urging them to join the call, citing how chronic absenteeism is correlated with decreased reading proficiency and high school graduation rates.

"By determining who shows signs of chronic absence starting in the first month of school, schools and community partners can work together to help students get to class before they have missed so much instruction that they require academic remediation," Chang said in a news release.

e.moser@theday.com