Case Study: Atlanta Public Schools achieves 96% fill rates and cuts professional-development absences with Frontline Education's Frontline Absence & Time

How Actionable Insights Drive an Instruction-focused Employee Absence Management Strategy

Atlanta Public Schools faced a recurring challenge: intensive, district-led professional development was pulling teachers out of classrooms, often on short notice, creating substitute shortages and low coverage rates. After switching from their previous system to Frontline Education’s Frontline Absence & Time and working with the Frontline Research & Learning Institute to benchmark absence and substitute data, district leaders identified that 32% of absences were caused or approved by the district and that planned PD was contributing significantly to lost instructional time.

Using Frontline Education’s Frontline Absence & Time and insights from the Research & Learning Institute, Atlanta Public Schools redesigned PD scheduling, increased lead times, coordinated substitute hiring, and improved reporting. The results were substantial: average fill rates rose from 79% to 96%, professionally related absences dropped 10% overall (55% on Mondays and Fridays), 96% of one PD series’ 600 absences were submitted two weeks in advance, and that series achieved a 99% fill rate—demonstrating clear, measurable improvements in coverage and instructional time.

Atlanta Public Schools