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.
The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation’s Public Schools
Balfanz, Robert and Vaughn Byrnes. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools. May 2012. Researchers evaluated chronic absence data from six states—Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon and Rhode Island—to assess trends and predict the size of the nation’s attendance challenge. A national rate of 10 percent chronic absenteeism seems conservative and it could be as high as…
Navigating the Middle Grades: Evidence from New York City
Kiefer, Michael J. and William H. Marinell. The Research Alliance for New York City Schools, New York University, April 2012. This study examines achievement and attendance changes between grades 4-8. Among the findings are that students whose attendance falls during the middle grades are particularly at risk for not being able to graduate from high school. However, these students can…
Truancy and Chronic Absence in Redwood City
Sanchez, Monika. John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. Palo Alto, Calif. April 2012.A study of chronic absenteeism in the Redwood City School District found the highest rates in kindergarten and 12th grade. The study also found that the largest, statistically significant factor in whether a student was chronically absent was their chronic absence status in the prior…
State of Chronic Absenteeism and School Health: A Preliminary Review for the Baltimore Community
The Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign and Elev8 Baltimore, April 2012. To address the problem of health-related absenteeism, Elev8 Baltimore and the Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign collaborated to prepare a preliminary review of absenteeism and school-based health services (referred to in this report as school health) in Baltimore City. This review aims to analyze existing data, policies, and programs to create…
Early Elementary Performance and Attendance in Baltimore City Schools’ Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
Connolly, Faith and Linda S. Olson. Baltimore Education Research Consortium, Baltimore, Md., March 2012. This brief looks at attendance in the early grades with particular focus on Pre-Kindergarten (PreK) and Kindergarten (K) and follows these young students over time. The study finds that students with low attendance in both PreK and K often continue to have low attendance, are more…
Community Asthma Initiative: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Program for Comprehensive Asthma Care
Woods, Elizabeth R. Pediatrics, February 20, 2012. Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses for children in the United States, and rates have reached historically high levels nationally with large racial/ethnic health disparities. Preventive efforts to address asthma issues in early childhood have been found to return $1.46 for every dollar invested, by reducing hospital visits. Additionally, there…
Chronic Elementary Absenteeism: A Problem Hidden in Plain Sight
Bruner, Charles, Anne Discher, and Hedy Chang. Child and Family Policy Center and Attendance Works, November 2011. This study confirms the premise that districts and schools may fail to detect high levels of chronic absence because the problem is easily masked by average daily attendance, one of the most commonly calculated attendance measures. While many educators assume a 95 percent…