Chronic Absenteeism
In the 2017-18 academic year, Tennessee adopted chronic absenteeism, known as the chronically out of school indicator, as part of federal accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to serve as an early warning sign for students, families, and schools. The chronically out of school indicator recognized excessive absences as lost instructional opportunities and a data point that is actionable throughout the school year.
- Only looking at average daily attendance rates tends to mask attendance issues, both within subgroups and at schools across districts,
- Effects of poor attendance are cumulative and may be disguised if absences do not occur consecutively.
- Districts and schools have access to rich attendance data that can be monitored through the school year, serving as an invaluable early indicator of changes in the student’s relationship with school.
Regular school attendance and engagement are fundamental to academic success and overall student development. Consistent attendance fosters a sense of belonging, routine, and accountability, while engagement ensures students actively participate in their learning journey. When students are present and engaged, they are more likely to build strong relationships with peers and educators, develop critical life skills, and stay on track for academic achievement. Research indicates students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve higher academic performance, build positive relationships, and develop critical life skills.
Contact:
Taylor Rayfield | Senior Project Manager
(615) 483-1248
Accountability Questions:
Capturing the importance of the chronically out of school indicator begins with an understanding of four key attendance terms.
- Average Daily Attendance: The percent of enrolled students who attend school each day. While the average daily attendance rate has been used for reporting purposes for many years, the use of a single average measure tends to mask significant attendance problems.
- Truancy: A legal term that refers only to unexcused absences. A Tennessee student is considered truant at five unexcused absences and may be subject to legal intervention.
- Chronic Absenteeism: Missing school for any reason (excused, unexcused, suspended/expelled). Commonly defined as missing 10 percent or more of instructional days, the threshold at which research indicates most students are at risk of negative academic and social consequences.
- Exclusionary Discipline: The removal of a student from his/her regular academic program for disciplinary purposes.
- Multiple research studies link poor attendance with reduced academic outcomes and many subgroups are disproportionately represented in chronic absenteeism data. Highlights of national research can be found here. From a Tennessee perspective, we know that Tennessee students who are chronically absent in kindergarten are 15 percentage points less likely to reach proficiency in either third grade math or ELA. We also know that Tennessee students who are chronically absent in ninth grade are 30 percentage points less likely to earn an on-time diploma (62% vs. 92%).
- Only looking at average daily attendance rates tends to mask attendance problems, both within subgroups and at schools across districts. The table below is actual data from a small, rural East Tennessee school district.
| District X Elementary Schools | Average Daily Attendance Rate | % of Students Chronically Absent | % of ED Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| School A | 93.8 | 17.9 | 87.6 |
| School B | 94.7 | 12.1 | 58.5 |
| School C | 95.0 | 9.9 | 77.5 |
| School D | 96.3 | 6.7 | 42.8 |
The following chart highlights chronic absence rates for various subgroups of Tennessee students during the 2014-15 school year.
- The harmful effects of poor attendance are cumulative and may be masked if absences do not occur consecutively. Students tend to repeat poor attendance patterns, further compounding its harmful effects.
- Districts and schools have access to rich attendance data that can be monitored throughout the school year, serving as an invaluable early indicator of changes in the student’s relationship with school.
- Chronically missing school is reflective of conditions at school and/or barriers at home or in the community that can be successfully addressed.
Fortunately, there are numerous rich data sources that can be helpful in identifying the unique nature of chronic attendance problems at a school or district. Successfully addressing chronic absenteeism starts with examining available data and identifying root causes.
Student Management System – Attendance And Discipline Data
A logical first step is to dig into attendance and discipline data contained within the district’s student management system. How do chronic absenteeism rates differ across schools, grades and subgroups within the district? How many of the absences can be attributed to excused, unexcused or disciplinary reasons. Are there periods within the school calendar that are particularly problematic? At the building level, this review can be similar with an additional opportunity to identify crossovers with students who may be already identified via RTI2 or other ongoing support initiatives.
Similarly, discipline data can be helpful in identifying the nature of students receiving exclusionary discipline, the behaviors resulting in discipline and the possibility of introducing disciplinary alternatives such as restorative practices.
Attendance Works makes available at no cost data tools that work with your student management system to generate helpful reports.
Coordinated School Health/School Nurses – Student Health Conditions
Student health, including seasonal as well as chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes, can be a significant factor in student absences. Coordinated school health directors and school nurses are an excellent source of data on district and building-level chronic health conditions of students. These same persons can be an excellent source of suggestions and practices in reducing health-related absences.
Student/Family Support Services – Barriers To Attendance
Student support personnel such as parent engagement specialists or family resource center directors are an excellent source of information on barriers that students and families may be encountering in getting to school.
Students And Parents – Barriers, School Climate/Culture, Instructional Opportunities
A frequently overlooked source of invaluable qualitative data is students and caregivers themselves. Student and parent survey resources are available at no cost from the Safe and Supportive Schools program. These surveys provide an opportunity to better understand student and parent perceptions of their school experience. An alternative would be to conduct interviews or focus groups with students and/or parents and caregivers.
Transportation And Other Nontraditional Sources – Barriers, Climate/Culture
Invaluable information can come from unexpected sources—leverage and dig into your local resources. For example, one rural Tennessee attendance specialist relies on hearing reports from school bus drivers in order to identify students and families in need of assistance. Similarly, local pediatricians can be a great source of information and powerful partner in addressing student health conditions.