The overlooked crisis of chronic absenteeism
Regular school attendance is crucial for a child’s academic success and social development. Yet over 7 million students nationally miss nearly a month of school each year due to chronic absenteeism (missing ≥10% of school days).
The impacts of missing this much school are devastating:
- Lower test scores and grades
- Higher dropout rates
- Poor social skills
- Limited career opportunities
"Strong school attendance is an essential foundation that supports learning, achievement and wellbeing,” said Hedy Chang, director of Attendance Works. “When kids miss too much school, it becomes nearly impossible to keep pace in classes and graduate prepared for the future.”
This guide covers the multifaceted issue of chronic absenteeism to help us understand why students miss school and how we can work collectively to get them back on track.
Consequences of Habitual Absenteeism
Most states have compulsory attendance laws requiring children to attend public school or an approved alternative program until age 16-18. When students of compulsory age consistently miss school, legal repercussions for parents can include:
- Fines ($100-$1000+)
- Court orders mandating actions like changing schools
- Jail time in rare unresolved cases
However, the academic and social consequences for children are far more severe:
Academic Impacts
- Achievement gaps in core subjects
- Lower test scores:
- Students chronically absent in K & 1st score up to 40 percentile points lower in 5th grade reading assessments (Source: Attendance Works)
- Higher dropout rates:
- Over 80% of high school dropouts were chronically absent earlier in their school careers (Source: NCES)
“The connection between attendance and achievement is nearly universal,” said Dr. Harris Cooper, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. “Showing up for school consistently is vital for students gaining the foundational skills and knowledge for present and future success.”
Social & Emotional Impacts
- Loss of social emotional learning opportunities vital for development
- Difficulty making or keeping friends due to social disconnect
- Poor class cohesion and school climate
- Increased risky behaviors, violence and dropping out
“Students who attend school irregularly lose critical opportunities to build community, learn social norms, and form relationships,” said Dr. Robert Blum, Public Health Expert at Johns Hopkins University. “This lack of consistent connections can severely impact their wellness and perception of school.”
Key Reasons Students Miss School
Addressing chronic absenteeism requires understanding the primary causes driving extended absences:
Health challenges
Physical and mental health issues can prevent attendance. These range from symptoms (like headaches or fatigue) to diagnoses (like chronic illness, anxiety, depression). Counseling, dosage/timing shifts for medications if prescribed, and home/hospital instruction services can help reduce absenteeism for students facing health problems.
Unwelcoming school climates
Issues like bullying, discrimination, punitive discipline policies, and lack of teacher diversity can deter vulnerable student groups from attending. Implementing schoolwide inclusion programs, diversity training for staff, mediation of conflicts, and empathy/relationship building can help give students a greater sense of belonging so they want to participate.
Lack of transportation
Whether due to financial hardship, unreliable vehicles, or no safe walking routes, students without transport often miss school at higher rates. Providing bus passes, coordinating carpools through school networks, and advocating for improved local public transit accessibility are some ways to alleviate this common barrier.
Family instability
Challenging home environments caused by housing/food insecurity, parental incarceration, addiction, abuse or neglect can severely impact attendance. School counselors, social workers, and community aid organizations helping families access vital resources, heal trauma, and achieve safety/stability can help children arrive ready and able to learn.
Tracking and disaggregating attendance data is also crucial for identifying disproportionately impacted student subgroups needing support. While reasons vary between individual students, the common thread is establishing caring, tailored interventions to meet needs so students want to show up.
Solutions for Improving School Attendance
Reversing chronic absenteeism requires commitment, communication, and compassion. Here are evidence-based strategies for coming together to support students:
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Start early: Intervene at first signs, make both outreach and resources easily accessible to families.
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Incentivize attendance: Recognize improvements publically or privately, use small rewards.
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Get kids excited: Foster engaging, culturally relevant curricula connecting to student backgrounds, interests and goals.
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Promote inclusion: Immigrant students attending Newcomer high schools with native language support and accelerating integration had 94% attendance compared to 52-85% attendance rates for immigrant students at traditional high schools. (Source: WestEd)
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Check assumptions: Don’t assume parents don’t care or that older teens are just skipping. Seek context, remove barriers families face supporting attendance.
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Leverage data: Use early warning systems to identify students needing extra support and match appropriate interventions.
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Establish community partnerships: Work together with local health providers, aid organizations, transit agencies, afterschool programs and businesses. It takes an ecosystem of support spanning both in and outside of school.
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Make learning engaging: Interactive project-based curricula with meaningful choice/input and cooperative models ignite motivation and enjoyment of school.
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Expose future paths: Career days highlighting diverse local professionals from various backgrounds, interests and education levels expands what students envision as possible.
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Improve climate: Ensure school safety, enforce zero bullying tolerance, promote student voice, hire teachers reflecting student diversity, implement trauma-informed discipline practices.
We all play a role in getting students to school consistently so they can achieve their full potential. Families, educators, administrators and community partners must collaboratively meet unique needs with compassion. By confronting chronic absenteeism as an ecosystem, we can collectively transform lives and communities. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!