Below is a list of research related to attendance
The reports on this page are listed chronologically and examine the issue of chronic absence nationwide and in selected communities. Use the search box to find research using the first few words of the paper title. See the early education, elementary, secondary and other research categories on the right. To submit new research, please contact us.
Chronic Absenteeism in Tennessee’s Early Grades
Tennessee Department of Education. This report documents that 10% of students in grades K-3 are chronically absent. It shows that chronically absent students are less likely to read by the end of the third grade than demographically similar peers, and shows that chronic absence is concentrated among economically disadvantaged schools and a sub-set of schools.
Counting the Future
Mississippi KIDS Count. This report is based on the 2015 report by Mississippi KIDS COUNT that analyzed state and district-level data. Counting the Future expands on the 2015 results by using student-level data to investigate the effects of chronic absence on student outcomes. The analysis finds that chronic absence rates start high in kindergarten, decrease through elementary school years, and…
Assessing the Impacts of Student Transportation on Public Transit
Fan, Y. and K. Das. University of Minnesota, Metro Transit, Minneapolis Public Schools, Dec. 2015. Researchers analyzed a program that provided transit passes to high school students living more than 2 miles from school and all students eligible for free or reduced price meals. The analysis found that pass users had 23 percent lower absenteeism, and participated in more learning…
Empty Seats: The Epidemic of Absenteeism Among Homeless Elementary Students
Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, November 2015. This report builds on the work of the 2015 Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City by examining the disparities in absenteeism and its impact on educational achievement, comparing homeless students and their housed peers, regardless of family income level. Researchers find that homeless elementary students were chronically absent at roughly…
When Students Miss School: The High Cost to Houston
Finck, Julie Baker. Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, September 14, 2015. This report provides a detailed look at chronic absence in the Houston Independent School District for the 2014-2015 school year, when about 9.3 percent of students missed 10 percent or more of the school year. The report explores the impact poor attendance has on student achievement, classroom instruction and…
Mapping the Early Attendance Gap: Charting a Course for Student Success
This report shows how disparities in school attendance rates starting as early as preschool and kindergarten are contributing to achievement gaps and high school dropout rates across the country. The report also highlights the connection between health and attendance and the power of states to tackle absenteeism by tapping key champions, leveraging data, and learning from places that have improved…
Leading Health Conditions Impacting Student Attendance
National Collaborative on Education and Health, September 2015. This handout summarizes the research linking health and attendance.