Chronic absenteeism in schools is a nationwide problem. Utah is right to begin tackling it through a campaign initiated by the state board of education, but the best solutions are most likely going to involve personal, case-by-case intervention.
Education experts trace the bulk of this problem to the COVID-19 pandemic, when school patterns were disrupted and many students were forced to participate in online-only learning daily.
Writing for The Hechinger Report, Jill Barshay noted that the problem seemed to peak nationwide in the 2021-22 school year, but that it remains at 23.5% nationally, which is far above the 15% before the pandemic.
Who is chronically absent?
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. In Utah, the numbers roughly follow national trends. The Deseret News recently reported that 23.8% of students were chronically absent last year, compared with 12.2% a decade ago.
It should come as no surprise that chronic absenteeism will stunt a child’s ability to learn and build relationships. Lessons become fragmented. Opportunities to ask teachers for help become few. Friendships with fellow students don’t blossom. In addition, students do not develop habits of punctuality and attendance that they will need one day in the workplace.
Income not always a predictor
While rates are highest among students from low-income families, Barshay reports that these trends are prevalent among high-income families as well. She quoted American Enterprise Institute deputy director of education policy Nat Malkus as saying, “Chronic absenteeism affects disadvantaged students more often, but the rise in chronic absenteeism was an unfortunate tide where all boats rose.”
However, there do seem to be connections between absenteeism and President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, Hechinger reported.
While it’s true that more parents are keeping kids home if they feel the least bit sick, researchers are finding a common and frustrating excuse provided by many absent kids: school is boring. An AEI symposium in May also uncovered a link to mental health issues, although it’s unclear whether this was triggered by the pandemic.
Part of the purpose for Utah’s new “Every Day Counts” initiative is to track data. Also, it will provide resources for families and teachers, and it will help with transportation, mental health and other needs that might keep students from attending on a daily basis.
This effort will no doubt overcome some barriers and help Utah schools better understand the problem. The campaign will enlist “attendance ambassadors” to build support within communities.
Personal relationships
We suggest nothing will be as effective as one-on-one relationships between teachers and students. The reasons for skipping school are likely as many and varied as the students who are doing it.
The Hechinger Report noted how several New York City high schools were using data to focus on students who are on the cusp of becoming chronically absent. A consulting organization meets with these students, sets weekly goals and shows them the link between attendance and grades.
A school in Indianapolis targets kids after only five absences, sending attendance officers to homes to meet with parents. Researchers recommend rewards for attendance rather than punishments for absences.
The key here is to recognize that no one school or researcher has uncovered a foolproof one-size-fits-all solution to the problem of chronic absenteeism, but that answers lie in a myriad of creative approaches and data collection by professionals who are motivated by love for their students.
Utah’s “Every Day Counts” campaign should remain nimble enough to pivot toward data-driven results that show one approach as being more effective than another. And it should be transparent enough to report regularly on its progress.
The wisdom of attacking this problem should be obvious. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. They are the doctors, scientists, accountants, lawyers, politicians and purveyors of countless other vital professions and vocations that society will need to function and prosper.
Today’s leaders cannot allow a large percentage of this generation to fail or fall behind.