A multitude data analyses have shown the rates of chronic absenteeism jump to the sky during the pandemic, from 15% in 2019 to 28% in 2022 according to a report from the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, DC.
Research there is a connection chronic absenteeism with lower academic achievement and greater likelihood of dropping out of high school.
Changing penal practices and investing in more support
One of the areas Felton looks at is penal practices. He said states should ban corporal punishment entirely and ban harsh punishments like suspensions for minor infractions because they can damage the relationship between students and teachers and can make students feel unsafe or unmotivated to come to class.
Several states, including many in the South, still allow corporal punishment in schools and according to federal datamore than 69,000 K-12 public school students received corporal punishment during the 2017-18 school year. (More recent federal data (reflects the amount of time many K-12 students have been learning remotely during the pandemic and shows a decline in corporal punishment.)
“For a student to want to be in the school environment, they need to know that they are cared for and that the adults in the building have their best interest at heart,” Felton said. “You can hold students accountable without harming them.”
He said research-backed services like after-school programs and mental health support help create positive school climates: “These are the practices that we know can reduce chronic absenteeism because they address the root causes.”
Felton found that some states, such as Connecticut and Maryland, have invested millions of dollars in comprehensive services such as mental health support and home visits. California has invested billions of dollars in this effort.
“You can’t really address the issues until you reach the people,” Felton said. “We need to prioritize investments and policies that focus on engaging students and families and making sure they get the support they need to show up every day.”
In many places, data collection also needs improvement
In his report, Felton emphasized the importance of collecting high-quality data on truancy — without it, he said, there’s no way to target funding and programs to the populations most at risk, including students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities and English language learners.
“If funding is not reaching the student groups that are most chronically absent, then states and (state education agencies) need to rethink their strategy and investments.”
The frequency of data collection also plays a role, Felton said. In many states, attendance data is released quarterly or even annually, making it difficult for schools to respond in real time when students don’t show up for class. Connecticut publishes attendance figures every month and is among the states with the lowest rates of chronic absenteeism.
Yet only about half of the states Felton surveyed require teachers to attend daily and have clearly defined standards for how long students must be in school before being marked as present. Felton said that needs to change.
“Students and families need to know what measurement they’re being held accountable for so they’re not chronically absent,” he said.
According to Felton, a clear metric would also help teachers and school administrators better support their students and families.
