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.
In School and On Track 2015: Attorney General’s 2015 report on California’s elementary school truancy and absenteeism crisis
Office of Attorney General, California Department of Justice, September 2015. In the 2015 report, we release new and updated data on the still alarming rates of elementary school truancy and chronic absence across the state. More than 1 in 5 elementary school students in California are truant based on data from the California Department of Education. Furthermore, we estimate that…
Most US middle and high schools start the school day too early. Students need adequate sleep for their health, safety, and academic success
Wheaton, Ann. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 6, 2015. Fewer than 1 in 5 middle and high schools in the U.S. began the school day at the recommended 8:30 AM start time or later during the 2011-2012 school year, according to data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Too-early…
Showing Up Matters: The State of Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey
Zalkind, Cecelia, Mary Coogan and Robert Sterling. Advocates for Children of New Jersey, August 2015. An analysis of data collected by the New Jersey Department of Education documents that more than 125,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade missed 10 percent or more of the 2013-14 school year. The report provide breakdowns for each county, as well as looking at…
Attendance Matters: White Paper on Chronic Absenteeism in San Antonio Schools
P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County. This study revealed both the scope of chronic absence and the impact of interventions involving more than 5,000 students, finding that 12.8 percent of the students were chronically absent. Nearly a quarter of 12th graders missed that much school, with girls missing more school than boys in their final year. As much as 24…
Chronic Absenteeism Among Kindergarten Students
Rhode Island Data HUB. This report followed a cohort of students through several years and found that those who were chronically absent in kindergarten were 20% less likely to score proficient or higher in reading, 25% less likely to score proficient or higher in math, twice as likely to be retained in grade, twice as likely to be suspended by…
High School Absenteeism and College Persistence
Rhode Island Data HUB. This study followed the high school graduating class of 2009 from their freshman year of high school through college. Researchers found that 20% of the students who graduated were chronically absent, and about 34% of the chronically absent graduates went on to college or a post-secondary setting. Only 11% of the chronically absent students went on…
The Effects of Early Chronic Absenteeism on Third-Grade Academic Achievement Measures
Coelho, Richard, et al. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Spring 2015. This project evaluates the effects of early grade absenteeism on later student academic performance in Wisconsin. Using data from all students in public schools in Wisconsin, it examines the impact of first-grade absences on student achievement on a third-grade standardized test. The resulting study of…