Are chronic absenteeism interventions working?

An analysis from Rand and CRPE estimates 19% — or 9.4 million students — were chronically absent during the 2023-24 school year.

Published Sept. 3, 2024

Kara Arundel Senior Reporter

Education Dive

The article "Are chronic absenteeism interventions working?" by Kara Arundel, published on September 3, 2024, provides an analysis of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools during the 2023-24 school year and examines the effectiveness of interventions implemented to address the issue. According to a joint report by Rand Corporation and the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), chronic absenteeism remains a persistent challenge, with 19% of students, or 9.4 million, missing at least 10% of the school year.

The report highlights that 23% of school districts surveyed indicated that none of their strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism were particularly effective. One explanation offered by district leaders is a cultural shift following COVID-19-related school closures. Many students and families now view school attendance as less critical, treating it as optional rather than mandatory.

District administrators believe that a key to increasing attendance is fostering school engagement through more dynamic and appealing lessons, including group projects that encourage collaboration. However, despite implementing interventions, many school districts continue to struggle with high absenteeism rates. The analysis shows that 10% of districts experienced absenteeism rates of 30% or higher, while 20% of districts reported rates between 20% and 30%.

This problem is not new. Chronic absenteeism was a growing issue even before the pandemic, with national rates at 15% in 2018. After school closures in 2022, the rate spiked to 28%. Although the absenteeism rate dropped to 19% during the 2023-24 school year, significant concerns remain. Organizations like the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Education Trust, and Attendance Works are advocating for a 50% reduction in chronic absenteeism over the next five years due to the negative impact low attendance has on student learning, teacher retention, and school culture.

The Rand and CRPE report notes that 93% of districts employed at least one intervention strategy during the 2023-24 school year. The most common interventions included early warning systems that flagged at-risk students, home visits, and teacher calls to homes after students reached a certain number of absences. However, districts reported varying degrees of success with these approaches. Researchers suggest that the complexity of the absenteeism issue may render any single intervention insufficient on its own.

Despite the challenges, the report outlines several recommendations to improve absenteeism interventions in a post-pandemic context. First, schools should continue monitoring their existing strategies to assess effectiveness across different student populations and explore new approaches to engage students. Districts are also encouraged to stress the importance of attendance to families, using personalized messaging to highlight the connection between attendance and academic success. Finally, schools should focus on creating an environment where students feel welcomed and connected. Counselors, personalized greetings, social-emotional learning, and group work can help foster a sense of belonging, encouraging regular attendance.

In conclusion, while chronic absenteeism remains a stubborn problem in U.S. schools, addressing it requires a combination of targeted interventions, family engagement, and efforts to make students feel valued in their school communities.

Source: https://www.k12dive.com/news/chronic-absenteeism-interventions-work...

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com