Académique Documents
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SEPTEMBER 2016
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center are pleased to partner on
Preventing Missed Opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absence.
Attendance Works drew upon its experience working with districts and states across the
country to lay out the implications for action and policy. The Everyone Graduates Center
analyzed the scale, scope and concentration of chronic absence in the United States.
While Hedy Chang and Robert Balfanz are the primary authors, this brief reflects
significant contributions from a number of individuals. Vaughn Byrnes of the Everyone
Graduates Center provided the data analysis. The brief benefited greatly from the
Attendance Works team. Catherine Cooney oversaw and managed the editing and
production process. Lauren Keane created the design. Sue Fothergill shaped the policy
recommendations and worked with Leo Fothergill to create the Chronic Absence Story
Map, which would not have been possible without Leos vision and technical skills. Other
team members offered timely and insightful assistance, including Linda Bowen, Julie
Farrar, Karissa Yee Findley, Nicole Johnson, Phyllis Jordan, Cecelia Leong, Annie Reed,
Jane Sundius, Louise Wiener and Cathy Wolfenden.
We also deeply appreciate the willingness of many colleagues from around the country
to review drafts of the report. Their insights helped us hone our concepts and narrative.
This brief was made possible by the generous support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation,
Campaign for Grade Level Reading, The California Endowment and the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. While their support is appreciated, the conclusions are those of the authors
alone.
Attendance Works (www.attendanceworks.org) is a national initiative dedicated to
improving attendance policy, practice and research. Its website offers a rich array of free
materials, tools, research and success stories to help schools and communities work
together to reduce chronic absence.
The Everyone Graduates Center (www.every1graduates.org) at Johns Hopkins University,
School of Education seeks to identify the barriers that stand in the way of all students
graduating from high school prepared for adult success, develop strategic solutions to
overcome the barriers and build local capacity to implement and sustain them.
The reference for this report is:
Preventing Missed Opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absence,
Attendance Works and Everyone Graduates Center, September 2016.
2016 Attendance Works and Johns Hopkins University, on behalf of Everyone
Graduates Center. All Rights Reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .....4
Where Are the Nations Chronically Absent Students Found?..................................................................6
What are the Characteristics of the 4 Percent of School Districts with Half of the Nations
Chronically Absent Students? ............................................................................................9
What are the Characteristics of the 500 School Districts with High Chronic Absenteeism Rates
of 30 Percent or More? .............................................................................................13
Six Steps for Using Chronic Absence Data to Take Action........................17
Step 1. Invest in Consistent and Accurate Data..................18
Step 2. Use Data to Understand Need and Disproportionate Impact in Order to Target
Resources....................................... 20
Step 3. Leverage Data to Identify Places Getting Results......................27
Step 4. Share Data with Key Stakeholders..............28
Step 5. Equip Stakeholders to Unpack Barriers and Take Action...........................30
Step 6. Create Shared Accountability...........32
Conclusion...34
References...35
INTRODUCTION
In the United States, the promise of an equal opportunity to learn regardless of the circumstances or
social class is a widely accepted civil right that binds us together as a nation. It is a hope that inspires
families and children to invest in themselves and the communities in which they live. It is a belief
that bolsters the morale of our teachers and their community partners by acknowledging the priceless
contribution they make when they inspire, engage and educate our children and youth. It is a shared
value that helps policy makers prioritize investments in the education of a next generation and
maintain the foundation we need for a strong economy and civil society.
Is it highly concentrated or
stakeholders.
accountability.
Table 1. Where are the Nations CA Students found, By Quarter and By District? 2013-14
Total Number
of Students
Chronically
Absent (CA)
Number of
Districts
Average Number
of Students
CA
Min Number
Students CA
Max number of
Students CA
Percent of
All Districts
ALL
6,472,466
16,240
399
72,376
100
1st Quarter
1,614,603
13,998 *
118
603
86
2nd Quarter
1,618,068
1,606
1,008
603
1,847
10
3rd Quarter
1,614,603
517
3,123
1,864
5,940
4th Quarter
1,589,624
119
13,358
6,009
72,376
Table 2. Concentration of Chronic Absenteeism at District Level in California and Texas 2013-2014
State
Enrollment
Total
Students
Chronically
Absent (CA)
Percent of
Students
Chronically
Absent
Total
Districts
Number of Districts
that Account for
25%
of CA
Students
50%
of CA
Students
75%
25%
of CA
of CA
Students Students
50%
of CA
Students
75%
of CA
Students
CA
6,035,665
719,747
12
1,019
14
61
167
16
TX
5,176,572
606,428
12
1,202
16
53
136
11
10
11
Locale
CA Rate in
Elementary
Schools
CA
Rate in
Middle
Schools
CA Rate
Percent of
in High Children 5-17
Schools
living
in poverty
MD
MONTGOMERY
COUNTY
24,149
16
34
68
152,013
Suburb
13
12
23
VA
FAIRFAX
21,565
12
27
58
183,640
Suburb
10
17
Table 4. Poverty, Percent Minority, and Chronic Absenteeism by Grade Level in Highly Impacted Cities 20132014
State
12
School
District
Number of
Students
Chronically
Absent (CA)
Percent Percent
of All
FRL
Students
CA
Percent
Minority
Enrollment
Locale
CA Rate in
Elementary
Schools
CA
Rate in
Middle
Schools
PA
PHILADELPHIA
52,770
37
MD
BALTIMORE
31,199
MI
DETROIT
WI
OH
CA Rate Percent of
in High Students
Schools 5-17 living
in poverty
83
86
143,964
City
32
35
51
36
37
85
92
85,035
City
31
20
54
32
31,162
58
80
98
54,181
City
59
52
54
51
MILWAUKEE
30,196
38
83
86
78,645
City
31
42
57
40
CLEVELAND
18,023
47
87
85
38,551
City
41
63
48
Table 5. Chronic Absenteeism Across Small and Medium Size Cities in New York State 2013-2014
School District
Percent
Minority
Enrollment
Percent
of Black
Students
CA
Percent
of
Hispanic
Students
CA
Percent
of
Spec. Ed.
Students
CA
Percent of
Children
5-17 years
old living in
poverty
ALBANY CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
2,744
31
68
79
8,824
34
38
42
32
BUFFALO CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
9,492
28
18
79
33,470
27
41
36
41
ELMIRA CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
2,000
30
59
25
6,592
35
53
38
34
KINGSTON CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
1,752
27
40
6,477
33
31
34
17
2,097
29
53
52
7,152
30
34
31
31
ROCHESTER CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
12,561
42
63
90
29,986
40
50
51
45
SCHENECTADY CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
3,716
38
68
70
9,717
43
47
51
34
SYRACUSE CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
7,047
34
62
76
20,764
31
49
35
48
1,402
36
52
3,846
39
47
46
38
2,443
25
75
63
9,648
31
32
31
47
13
Figure 1: States with 5 or More School Districts with Chronic Absence Rates At or Above 30% 2014 Office of Civil Rights Data
14
Table 6. Sample Rural Areas and Towns with Chronic Absenteeism Rates of 30 Percent or More 20132014
State
School District
Number of
Students
Chronically
Absent (CA)
Percent
of All
Students
CA
Percent
FRL
Percent
Minority
Enrollment
Locale
Percent of
Children 5-17
living
in poverty
AL
865
31
69
17
2,752
Rural
27
AR
158
31
78
504
Rural
38
ID
359
30
51
11
1,188
Town
22
KS
32
30
46
14
106
Rural
26
MI
370
33
57
1,110
Rural
21
WI
404
30
36
1,342
Rural
12
15
Table 7. Concentration of Chronic Absenteeism at School District Level Across States 2013-2014
State
16
Enrollment
Total Students
Chronically Absent
(CA)
Percent of
Students CA
Total
Districts
50% of CA
Students
75% of CA
Students
50% of CA
Students
75% of CA
Students
AL
741,992
92,916
13
147
20
45
14
31
AK
129,440
29,824
23
53
AZ
1,099,939
181,127
16
577
20
54
AR
480,903
55,841
12
249
14
52
21
CA
6,035,665
719,747
12
1,019
14
61
167
16
CO
879,656
142,456
16
185
16
CT
547,017
79,288
14
193
16
42
22
DE
132,830
20,225
15
37
11
22
FL
2,723,643
121,890
74
11
15
GA
1,737,405
192,708
11
200
15
43
22
ID
289,583
30,017
10
148
18
12
IL
2,052,119
266,528
13
929
27
113
12
IN
1,031,971
100,370
10
355
29
80
23
IA
500,841
63,766
13
343
27
97
28
KS
493,711
69,247
14
295
10
41
14
KY
686,436
99,385
14
175
21
58
12
33
LA
710,413
94,451
13
115
12
28
10
24
ME
175,355
25,674
15
183
20
40
11
22
MD
881,690
133,795
15
25
12
28
MA
949,063
120,339
13
397
22
85
21
MI
1,569,469
284,619
18
862
19
90
219
10
25
MN
859,347
106,475
12
492
27
80
16
MS
495,250
78,147
16
158
18
44
11
28
MO
906,918
106,844
12
555
25
75
14
MT
145,050
25,237
17
395
10
29
NE
307,061
32,160
10
263
13
NV
453,521
82,209
18
19
11
NH
187,021
24,151
13
179
15
36
20
NJ
1,337,765
161,135
12
655
13
51
140
21
NM
334,239
37,015
11
136
17
13
NY
2,737,612
305,457
11
946
60
205
22
NC
1,529,398
211,106
14
243
15
41
17
ND
104,730
10,226
10
170
13
OH
1,764,066
265,086
15
975
10
82
250
26
OK
685,574
78,916
12
529
16
59
11
OR
566,101
128,359
23
198
11
32
16
PA
1,737,450
264,603
15
689
53
181
26
RI
140,800
27,155
19
52
10
19
SC
747,065
62,961
90
12
26
13
29
SD
135,664
15,859
12
155
10
TN
989,392
123,982
13
140
26
19
TX
5,176,572
606,428
12
1,202
16
53
136
11
UT
631,578
99,337
16
132
10
VT
80,457
9,237
11
224
23
56
10
25
VA
1,277,821
167,967
13
164
31
19
WA
1,072,558
264,647
25
305
24
59
19
WV
284,899
40,033
14
56
17
13
30
WI
874,518
139,175
16
451
17
75
17
WY
93,896
13,790
15
55
14
11
25
accurate data.
stakeholders.
accountability.
17
18
19
20
Figure 3
21
22
23
24
Figure 7
What percentage of students are chronically absent by race/ethnicity and grade?
25
26
Figure 8
Source: Center for New York City Affairs, the New School
27
28
What Data Do
They Need? How Often?
Community Partners
General Public
29
30
Figure 9
31
32
Be valid.
Be reliable.
33
CONCLUSION
Chronic absence is a national crisis that we cannot afford to ignore. A day lost to school absenteeism
is a day lost to learning. It is a challenge affecting learning in nearly every state.
The good news is a growing number of communities have shown that chronic absence is not
inevitable. These success stories prove that improving attendance is possible, even in the most
challenged communities. The key is everyone students, families, schools and community partners
using real-time data to monitor when absences are adding up, and working together to address
challenges to getting to school before students have lost too much time in the classroom. While
solutions always will need to be tailored to local realities, much has already been learned about what
works to reduce chronic absence.
34
Chronic absence data, especially at the state level, can be used to identify districts and communities
that will require the greatest levels of support given the size, scale and intensity of their chronic
absence challenge. Because of the size of the challenge before us, it is essential to use data to make
strategic decisions about how to most effectively target resources.
Implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act offers an unprecedented opportunity to
advance effective practices for reducing chronic absence at scale. The laws reporting requirement will
create more public accountability for examining this previously overlooked metric. At the same time,
it is important to recognize that the biggest risk of inclusion in ESSA is that schools and districts will
treat chronic absence simply as a bureaucratic reporting requirement. Real progress will only be made
if districts, schools and their community partners fully recognize its value as an actionable data point
that helps them take collective action that has a direct impact on improving outcomes, especially for
our most vulnerable students.
REFERENCES
1 Attendance in Early Elementary Grades: Association with Student Characteristics, School Readiness and
2014.
Empty Seats: The Epidemic of Chronic Absenteeism Among Homeless Students, Institute for Children,
Poverty and Homelessness 2015.
Henderson, Tia et al., The Connection Between Missing School and Health: A Review of Chronic
Absenteeism and Student Health in Oregon, Upstream Public Health, October 2014. Pg 14-24.
Leading Health Conditions Impacting Student Attendance, National Collaborative on Education and Health,
September 2015.
Nauer, Kim et al, A Better Picture of Poverty: What Chronic Absenteeism and Risk Load Reveal About NYCs
Lowest-Income Elementary Schools, Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, November 2014.
Romero, Maria Jose How Maternal, Family and Cumulative Risk Affect Absenteeism in Early Schooling,
National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, February 2008.
4 Gershenson, Seth and Micheal Hayes, Short-Run Externalities of Civic Unrest: Evidence from Ferguson,
6 Chang, Hedy and Romero, Mariajose, Present, Engaged and Accounted For: The Critical Importance of
Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades, National Center for Children in Poverty, New York, NY,
September 2008.
Attendance in Early Elementary Grades: Association with Student Characteristics, School Readiness and Third
Grade Outcomes, Applied Survey Research, May 2011.
Ehrlich,Stacy B. etal. PreschoolAttendance in Chicago Public Schools: Relationships with Learning
Outcomesand Reasons for Absences, University of Chicago, Consortium on Chicago School Research, May
2014.
Chronic Absenteeism Among Kindergarten Students, Rhode Island Data HUB, 2015.
High School Absenteeism and College Persistence, Rhode Island Data HUB, 2015.
Chronic Absence in Utah Public Schools, Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah, July 2012.
35
7 This statement is based upon what Attendance Works has observed through providing technical assistance
to two peer learning networks involving multiple districts in Iowa and multiple schools in Arkansas. Both peer
learning networks began in the 201415 school year and encourage districts to track and document changes
in their attendance data.
8 Rogers,Todd and AviFuller, Reducing Absences at Scale, Harvard University (February 2016).
9 Interview with Mary Claire Knight, Making Connections Initiative Coordinator, Providence, Rhode Island,
Winter 2008.
10 Balfanz, Robert, and Vaughan Byrnes, The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in
36
the Nations Public Schools. Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools, Baltimore,
Md., 2012. Page 20.
11 Bookman,Noah, Presentation on CORE School Quality Improvement Index,to the Network for
Advancing State Attendance Policy and Practice, April 25, 2016.
Buehler, Melanie Hart, Tapogna, John, and Chang, Hedy, Why Being in School Matters: Chronic
Absenteeism in Oregon Public Schools, Attendance Works, June 2012.
12 State of Washington: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction - Performance Indicators-Data
and Analytics, http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/PerformanceIndicators/DataAnalytics.aspx#attendance.
13 Counting the Future, Early Attendance Charts a Path for Future Success in Mississippi Schools, Mississippi
Kids Count, February 2016.
Olson, Linda S., Why September Matters: Improving Student Attendance, Baltimore Education Research
Consortium, July 2014.
14 Community partners can gain access to such data as long as appropriate attention is paid to respecting
student rights to privacy. See this Data Sharing Toolkit for Communities for more information.
15 See CORE district experiences at http://coredistricts.org/why-is-core-needed/