Addressing Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism from school—which increased dramatically during the pandemic—continues to be a nationwide crisis. The chronic absenteeism rate, which stood at nearly 15% during the 2018-2019 school year, exploded to approximately 30% in the 2021-2022 school year. In this article, we’ll explore absenteeism, its impact, and how Catapult Learning can help.
Defining Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism occurs when students miss at least 15 days (or 10% of school days) during a school year, whether excused or unexcused. Causes range from health issues and poverty to challenging family environments and trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these factors, with more than 1 million students losing a grandparent and 200,000 students losing a primary caregiver.
During the 2021-22 school year:
- Nearly 14.7 million students were considered chronically absent—6.5 million more than in 2018-19.
- Two-thirds of enrolled students attended schools with high (20-29%) or extreme (30%+) levels of chronic absenteeism.
- Chronic absenteeism rates were significantly higher among Latino, Black, and low-income students.
Leading Causes of Chronic Absenteeism
According to AttendanceWorks, the reasons for chronic absenteeism fall into four categories:
- Barriers: Illness, trauma, lack of transportation, unsafe neighborhoods, and challenging home environments.
- Disengagement: Boredom, absence of meaningful relationships, minimal culturally inclusive instruction, and lack of academic or behavioral support.
- Aversion: Anxiety, academic struggles, bullying, undiagnosed disabilities, and biased disciplinary practices.
- Misconceptions: Misunderstandings about the importance of attendance, such as assuming excused absences or suspensions don’t impact learning.
Why Chronic Absenteeism is Harmful
Chronic absenteeism has far-reaching consequences for both students and schools:
- Students: Poor attendance leads to lower grades, test scores, and higher dropout rates. A 2016 study revealed that chronically absent students are seven times more likely to drop out of high school and experience poorer health, shorter life expectancy, and limited job opportunities.
- Schools: Lower enrollment directly impacts district funding, reducing resources, staff, and campus improvements.
Addressing Absenteeism
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to chronic absenteeism, but understanding the causes—barriers, aversion, disengagement, and misconceptions—is key. Many districts are leveraging Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to address attendance issues.
MTSS Framework
- Tier 1: Universal supports promoting positive conditions for learning, such as safe and welcoming environments.
- Tier 2: Targeted interventions for groups of students requiring additional support.
- Tier 3: Individualized interventions tailored to address specific student needs.
Successful implementation of MTSS includes creating safe learning environments, engaging students in relevant lessons, and providing opportunities for chronically absent students to catch up on missed studies.
Partnering with Parents
Addressing absenteeism with parents can be challenging due to varying family circumstances such as lack of transportation, unsafe neighborhoods, or food insecurity. Schools must approach this issue with empathy and avoid alienating families while working to resolve attendance barriers.
How Catapult Learning Can Help
Catapult Learning offers professional development and coaching to help districts implement MTSS frameworks that address absenteeism and create positive school cultures. Our MTSS workshops empower teachers to better understand and meet students’ needs, fostering environments where students feel safe, engaged, and motivated to learn.
Learn more about how Catapult Learning can support your efforts to mitigate chronic absenteeism and improve school culture:
