ABSENTEEISM: Factors that affect a students productivity

Absenteeism in school is the habit of staying away from school without providing a
genuine or any reason for not attending classes.It is a truant behavior that negatively
affects the performance among students. While every student may miss some school
activities now and then, absence becomes a problem when the student is away from
school for many days. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, absenteeism is
"chronic absence." In the context of school, it is the habitual or intentional failure to
attend school. absenteeism is an alarming problem for administrators, teachers,
parents, society in general, and pupils in particular. Unaccepted absences have a
negative effect on peer relationships, which can cause further absences. This indicates
that student absenteeism affected academic performance and that the level of student
absenteeism mattered in academic performance.

According to Timothy Keter, Community Relations Coordinator, Eneza Educatio

Lntd.

Some causes of absenteeism are:

1. Phobic Adolescence: During this stage in the growth of a teen, there is a lot of fear
developed as a result of physical changes of the body for example growth of pimples,
turbulent emotions e.t.c. This scares teens away from school.

2. Lack of Interest: Students could be lacking interest in the study, which could be as a
result of content that is difficult for them to grasp hence pushing them away from school.

3. Teacher approach: The approach used by teachers may not be understood by the
student and this could lead them to lose interest in school. Punitive attendance policy plays
a big role in absenteeism too.

4. Pamperness from the family: Students who get excessive pocket money from their
families are most likely to absent themselves from school since they need time to spend the
money.

5. Private Couching: Flexible private couching encouraged by some parents could drive a
number of students away from the conventional school timetable.
6. Diseases: Some diseases like asthma which requires attention and care as well as an
environment that is warm and not dusty could make students remain home.

7. School Infrastructural Facilities: Lack of libraries, sports facilities is a hindrance to

attendance of school among students.

8. Entertainment: Accessibility of entertainment facilities like cinemas could divert attention

of some students from school.

Contributing Factors of Absenteeism

Analysis of INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION states that Predictors of
absenteeism and truancy can be found inside and outside of the school environment. Bimler
and Kirkland (2001) indicated that there may be as many as 10 different 'hot spots' that can
predict student absenteeism and truancy. These 'hot spots' broadly include: school
conditions; home-based behavioral issues; psychological issues; family background;
school-based behavioral issues; peer issues; as well as lack of motivation or interest in
school. These issues align with more recent reviews of literature regarding student
absenteeism, truancy, and school avoidance behavior (Kearney, 2008). As Kearney's (2008)
comprehensive review of literature related to school absenteeism and school refusal
behavior suggests absenteeism can be linked to physical conditions, psychiatric conditions,
classification and proximal variables, contextual risk factors, as well as cross-cultural
variables. Each of these variables has been shown to influence student attendance.

The literature related to predictors of chronic absenteeism and truancy has been grouped
into four broad categories in this review. First, research regarding student predictors of
attendance is presented. This discussion reflects the most developed research base and
broadly explains the individual characteristics that influence student attendance. Next,
parent and family predictors are reviewed. These factors have received increased attention
in recent years but continue to be an area where more research is needed. School-level
predictors are discussed next. The discussion of school-level factors includes structural,
cultural, and social conditions in the school. These factors also relate to the physical
condition of the school. Finally, community predictors are discussed. Community-level
predictors have only recently received attention from researchers and are thus an area of
research that requires further elaboration.

Individual Predictors of Student Attendance

Researchers have focused extensively on student-level predictors related to chronic
absenteeism and truancy. Predictors at the student-level relate to the student's physical and
mental health; perceptions of school; as well as the availability of family and community
resources. These predictors offer the most direct link to student attendance whereas other
predictors that will be discussed are often mediated. Student predictors broadly include the
student's physical and mental health as well as their perceptions of school.

Physical health
Issues related to the student's physical and mental health appears directly related to
student attendance (Kearney, 2008). Chronic health conditions are among the most
significant predictors of student absenteeism. This review found that asthma is one of the
leading predictors for student absenteeism (Center for Disease Control, 2009; Kearney,
2008). The Center for Disease Control estimates that 9.1% of children under 17 years of
age have been diagnosed with asthma (Akinbami, Moorman, Garbe, Sondik, 2009). The
CDC estimates that nearly 14.7 million school days were missed in 2002 because of
asthma-related illness (Meng, Babey, & Wolstein, 2012). Researchers estimate that
students with asthma miss between 1.5 and 3.0 times more school days than their peers
without the condition (Bonilla, et al., 2005; Dey & Bloom, 2005; Moonie, Sterling, Figgs, &
Castro, 2006). According to Kearney (2008), absenteeism related to asthma can be
exacerbated by numerous factors, including age, poverty, medical care, as well as the
student's living environment.

Research suggests that other health issues influence student attendance, as well. For
example, obesity, chronic illness, and chronic pain all appear to significantly predict higher
levels of student absenteeism (Palermo, 2000; Sato, et al., 2007). Geier and colleagues
(2007) studied 1,069 fourth and sixth graders attending nine elementary schools in
Philadelphia and found that students who had a higher than normal Body-Mass-Index (BMI)
were more likely to miss school than students whose BMI was within normal range. They
concluded that obesity was thus a significant predictor of student absenteeism after
adjusting for the student's age, race or ethnicity, and gender. Taras and Potts-Datema
(2005) reviewed literature related to chronic health conditions in children and disclosed that
the literature associates student attendance with diabetes, sickle cell anemia, epilepsy,
among other chronic illnesses. This research builds on related work suggesting that other
chronic conditions have also been attributed to increased student absenteeism, including
migraines, abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (Chan,
Piira, & Betters, 2005). Roth-Isigkeit and colleagues (2005) conducted a large-scale study
of children who experienced chronic pain. They concluded that "30 to 40 percent of children
and adolescents with pain reported moderate effects of their pain on school attendance" (p.
153). In addition, researchers have found that teen pregnancy (Kirby, 2002) and
drug/alcohol use (Roebuck, French, & Dennis, 2004) are also significant predictors of
student absenteeism. Drawing upon survey data from the 1997 and 1998 National
Household Surveys on Drug Abuse, Roebuck, French, and Dennis (2004) found that among
15,168 adolescents age 12 to 18, marijuana use was strongly associated with truancy and
increased likelihood of high school dropout.
Mental health conditions
Mental health conditions have also been attributed to student attendance. Researchers
suggest that mental health conditions often manifest themselves in the form of school
refusal or school avoidance behaviors (Egger, Costello, & Angold, 2003; King & Bernstein,
2001). Egger, Costello, and Angold (2003) examined the association between mental health
conditions (e.g., anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.) and both school refusal and
truancy. They found that school refusal was typically associated with depression and
separation anxiety. Truancy tended to be associated with oppositional defiant disorder and
conduct disorder. In children who exhibited a combination of school refusal and truancy,
88.2 percent of the 4,500 school aged children included in the study had a specific
psychiatric disorder. A smaller study conducted by Kearney and Albano (2004), found that
among 143 youths the most common psychiatric conditions associated with school refusal
were separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, oppositional defiant disorder,
and depression. The findings obtained by Kearney and Albano mirror those obtained in a
smaller study conducted McShane, Walter, and Rey (2001). As Kearney (2008) noted, there
is "remarkable consistency with respect to the type of diagnosis most commonly seen in
youths with problematic absenteeism, which essentially involves depression, anxiety, and
disruptive behavior disorder" (p. 457).

While underlying mental health conditions contribute to school avoidance or refusal

behaviors, Kearney (2008) suggested that these conditions are often overlooked. It may
also be due to a lack of diagnosis for many psychiatric conditions believed to be influencers
or causes of the avoidance behavior, including depression, separation anxiety, oppositional
defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and substance abuse (King, Heyne, Tonge, Gullone, &
Ollendick 2001; Kearney 2008). Certain other risk factors may also increase anxiety or
school-refusal behavior, leading to absenteeism or truancy, such as homelessness and
poverty, teenage pregnancy, school violence and victimization, school climate and
connectedness, and parental involvement (Kearney 2008).

Student perceptions of the school

Student perceptions of the school have also been associated with student attendance.
Research strongly associates the student perceptions of the school culture and rigor of the
academic program with student attendance (Balfanz, Herzog, & Mac Iver, 2007).
Researchers find that students are less likely to attend school when they perceived their
classes are boring or irrelevant; feel unsupported or disrespected by teachers and other
school staff; feel uncomfortable or bullied by other students; or feel targeted for discipline
and behavioral issues (Wagstaff, Combs, & Jarvis, 2000). The same research also noted
that were less likely to attend school when they perceived that they had fallen behind on
their school work or could not balance the competing demands of work and school
(Wagstaff, et al., 2000). These factors broadly reflect the degree to which a student is
engaged in their school experience. Decreased levels of student engagement have been
associated with reduced attendance (Balfanz, Herzog, & Mac Iver, 2007).

Teachers Reaction about the issue

One of the most annoying experiences for teachers like me is when students are absent. We
prepare lesson plans with the objective that 100% of the class will learn from the days classroom
activities, and it is most satisfying when all students are present on that day and the days thereafter
to ensure maximum learning.

Sadly, it is very difficult to achieve perfect attendance. No matter how interesting and well-prepared
my lessons and teaching materials are, there are bound to be students who miss out on the days
activitieswillingly or unwillingly.

I would like to minimize this problem, if not eradicate it completely. That is why I conducted an action
research to understand them better. I wanted a more accurate analysis of why some of my students
are perennial absentees, so I could formulate plans, projects, and programs to minimize their
absences. I hope that it also enlightens you. Even if you are not an educator, you may be able to
help a student to stay in school.- owlcation.com

Effects of absenteeism

According to Walters, M S (2007) attending school regularly is a vital factor in

school success for both students and teachers. Excessive school absenteeism
is often linked to poor school academic achievement, so school attendance by
both teachers and students plays an integral role in the success and educational
advancement levels of any academic institution and all students enrolled.
Limited Educational Instruction
It is crucial to the success of any school to employ dedicated teachers who are physically
present to administer quality education to each student. Excessive absenteeism by the
teaching staff can drastically hinder the learning environment and academic achievement of
students when instructors are not routinely present to teach them. When teachers are
absent, schools must rely on substitute teachers to provide instruction for the students.
However, many substitute teachers may not be qualified to provide quality educational
instruction. Substitute teachers are not always required to possess a teaching certification,
and in some school districts they are able to teach with only a high school GED. The loss of
quality instructional time for students can result in unlearned academic skills and objectives,
and subsequent reduction in students' standardized test scores.

Poor Academic Progress

Successful schools cannot survive without physically present students. According to the
"Excessive Absences Intervention" research study by author Linda L. Williams, excessive
absenteeism by students may result in unlearned course material from fewer hours of
instruction, and a disruption of class instruction for teachers who have to administer
remediation for the absent student when he returns to school. Excessive absenteeism by
students may additionally result in poor academic achievement because students are not
receiving instruction on a consecutive basis. This problem also causes low standardized
test scores because absent students are not present to learn key concepts and skills that
are assessed on standardized exams.

Future Problems
Excessive student absenteeism can lead to an increasing disinterest in school and
academics in general. According to author Jason A. Schoenebergers "Longitudinal
Attendance Patterns" study, excessive absenteeism increases the chances of a student
eventually dropping out of school, which can lead to long term consequences for these
students, such as lower average incomes, higher incidences of unemployment, and a
higher likelihood of incarceration. Schoeneberger asserts that students who drop out of
school face a higher risk of poverty because of their inability to secure quality paying
employment due to their lack of education and resources. Dropouts who lack education and
resources are more likely to commit criminal activity leading to incarceration.

Decreased School Budget

Excessive absenteeism also places an extreme strain on the school's budget, and allocated
finances in each school district. Average daily attendance, or ADA, is the average
attendance rate of students in a school year. States utilize a school district's ADA to
determine the allocated funding it will receive. Schools may encounter a decrease in
funding due to a loss of full-time students. This limited budget due to excessive absences
causes a lack of educational resources and materials for the all the students in the school.
According to "USA Today," about one in three teachers misses more than 10 days of school
each year in the public school system. Providing substitutes for all of these absent teachers
costs schools, cumulatively, at least $4 billion a year. "USA Today" further reported that in
some states nearly 50 percent of the teachers miss more than 10 days of school in a typical
180-day school year.

Absenteeisms effect on scores in exams

In the study of Sauers, D A (2005) to assess the impact of absenteeism test Performance it
revealed that Students' scores on Tests 1-4 were classified into two groups based on whether
they were present in class the unannounced random day attendance was taken prior to each
test. We used t-tests to test for the differences in the mean test scores for those students
present and absent. The results of these t tests are presented in Table 3. Clearly, the students
present in class outperformed the students absent from class on each test. An examination of
the range of scores also reveals that no students who were absent from class on the random
day attendance was taken scored 90 percent or above (the cutoff for a grade of A) on the
subsequent

test. Thus, class attendance appears to be a necessary condition for scoring an A on a test in
this course. Furthermore, a student's total number of absences was negatively correlated with
his or her final exam score (r = -.47, p<.0001).

Chronic Absenteeisms effect to a student

Learning builds from day to day. Lesson plans are built around a progression in mastering
concepts and information. It is not possible for a student to do his/her best if they are not in
school to manage class work, take notes and to interact with educators and student peers
regarding course curriculum.

When a student misses multiple days of school it is called chronic absenteeism. Chronic
absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the school year. In practical terms that translates to 6
days in a trimester or 18 days in a school year; this includes both excused and unexcused
absences. It is a routine practice for parents/guardians to receive a cautionary letter or phone
call when their students absenteeism approaches 10%. Often times these same
parents/guardians question the validity of these notifications if their student has been absent
due to chronic illness, vacation, or family emergency. However, it is not why a student is absent,
but how much a student is absent that really matters. Chronic absenteeism not only affects
student achievement, it can affect a students attitude and behavior at school. When a student
has attendance issues, achievement issues and behavior issues it increases their risk of
dropping out of school.

It is helpful for schools to have clear policies and procedures on how to respond to chronic
absenteeism and to practice consistent communication with students, parents and county
agencies when concerns arise. Through the data that schools are required to collect on
absenteeism we are able to assist students and their families in improving chronic absenteeism
by promptly addressing it. Schools can also help students improve attendance through
education about the effects of chronic absenteeism and individualized goal setting.

Parents can help improve their childs attendance by working with the school to identify why
their child is missing school, to address underlying concerns and to establish concrete
expectations of attending school and not to negotiate away from these expectations. Satisfying
the basic needs of a good nights sleep, a proper breakfast and getting to school on time can
greatly impact a childs attendance. Whenever possible, non-urgent medical appointments
should be scheduled when school is not in session.
 Students with good homework habits are less likely to miss school and if they do miss school
they are more likely to complete makeup work in a timely fashion. Students who are
disorganized; unsure of their assignment responsibilities and or have numerous outstanding
assignments are more likely to become causality to chronic absenteeism.

Helping students understand that consistently attending school improves achievement and
gives those increased opportunities and choices when they graduate falls squarely on all of our
shoulders. Attending school on regular basis does matter. Attendance is a key driver in a
students achievement in the classroom, standardized test scores, high school graduation, and
college entrance. Chronic absenteeism is a problem that can be remedied if addressed by all
responsible parties: the student, the parent/guardian, the school and the community.

Missing school is serious business, and its impact on achievement and dropout rates has been
vastly underestimated.

So says a new report from Johns Hopkins University, "The Importance of Being in School: A
Report on Absenteeism in the Nation's Public Schools." "Like bacteria in a hospital," the report
notes, "chronic absenteeism can wreak havoc long before it is discovered," and it often goes
undetected. Just six states keep records indicating "chronic absenteeism," generally defined as
missing 10 percent or more of all school days, or about 18 days a year.

That would add up to nearly a month of school days. The result: lower achievement and higher
dropout rates.

The study estimates a national rate of 10 percent chronic absenteeism, though researchers
suspect the rate is more likely around 15 percent. That's 5 million to 7.5 million students who are
absent from 18 to 20 days of the school year. The six reporting states (Florida, Georgia,
Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon and Rhode Island) show absentee rates from 6 to 23 percent. In
high-poverty urban areas, up to one-third of the students are chronically missing from school; in
poor rural areas, one quarter of them are chronically absent.

The problem is most pressing among low-income students, and increases as children rise from
middle school through 12th grade. Gender and ethnic background do not appear to affect
attendance.

Wherever absenteeism occurs, its results are clear: Nationally, chronic absence in kindergarten
was associated with lower academic performance in first grade, with the negative impact twice
as likely among students from low-income families. Achievement gaps increase at all levels. In
Baltimore, researchers found a strong correlation between sixth-grade attendance and the rate
at which students graduated from high school on time .

Further research shows students miss school for three primary reasons: They cannot attend,
due to illness, family responsibilities, housing instability or involvement with juvenile justice; they
will not attend because of bullying, unsafe conditions, harassment or embarrassment; or they do
not attend because they (and/or their parents) do not value education.

Knowing the causes of absenteeism can help guide solutions, many of which are already being
successfully implemented. The best anti-absentee programs involve close tracking of
attendance, diagnosing reasons for absence, building strong relationships with students and
families, recognizing students for good attendance ,and often having a "second shift" of adults in
schools to follow up with absent students.

Among specific successes is a program called AttenDANCE, where 200 sixth-graders who
attended 95 percent of their second quarter at Dever-McCormack K-8 School in Boston, earned
permission to attend a dance at a hall across the street. The incentive, along with calls to absent
students, tutoring and case management (to provide counseling, healthcare and housing where
needed) is part of Diplomas Now, a graduation advocacy nonprofit also operating successfully in
Washington, D.C., Miami and Los Angeles.

In New York City, where more than 200,000 students are chronically absent, a campaign to
keep kids in school ensures that more than 30,000 students get wake-up calls from celebrities
like Michael Jordan and Whoopi Goldberg. In addition, mentors follow students' progress, and
subway signs keep the issue fresh ("It's 9 a.m. Do you know where your children are?")

"The good news is if we do measure and monitor absenteeism, there is quite a bit that can be
done to improve it with existing resources," the report concludes. "As a nation we must act, to
ensure that our students are ready, willing and able to attend school every day. Their future, and
hence our future, depends on it." [Virginia Myers]

Refrences:

http://www.isd423.org/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-files
classroom.synonym.com/effects-excessive-absenteeism-schools-3900.html

https://www.understood.org/.../the-problem-of-chronic-absenteeism-what-you-need

https://www.childtrends.org DataBank Indicator

http://www.aft.org/news/absenteeism-epidemic-hinders-academic-achievement

digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

www.wbaltv.com/article/report-finds-high-absenteeism-affects-school