Links between preschool absenteeism and academic learning

Links between preschool absenteeism and academic learning
A new study, published in Child Development, found that children in Head Start who missed 10% or more of the school year had fewer academic gains than their peers who attended preschool more regularly.
 
Arya Ansari and Kelly M. Purtell used data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2009 cohort (n=2,842) to examine the effects of absenteeism among 3- and 4-year-olds on early academic learning. Their findings revealed that, on average, children missed eight days of the school year. However, 12% of children were chronically absent - defined as missing 10% of the school year or more - and missed an average of 22 days of school. Children who missed more days of school, especially those who were chronically absent, demonstrated fewer gains in math and literacy during the preschool year. For math, this was equivalent to approximately two months of lost academic skill gains. In literacy the loss was three months.

The study also found that Black and Latino children were less likely to be absent than white children. Children from households with married parents were less likely to be absent than those from households without two parents. In addition, children were less likely to be absent when they were enrolled in classrooms that operate for more hours per week, and in larger and bilingual classrooms. Children were more likely to be absent if their mother showed more depressive symptoms and was unemployed. The quality of interactions between teachers and children positively affected children's development of literacy skills, and the benefits were roughly twice as large for children who were absent less often.

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