Below is a list of research related to attendance
The reports on this page are listed alphabetically and examine the issue of chronic absence nationwide and in selected communities. Use the search box to find research using the author name. 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…
The relationship between relative weight and school attendance
Geier, Andrew B. Obesity, Vol. 15 No. 8. August, 2007. This study examined the association between relative weight and absenteeism in 1,069 fourth to sixth graders from nine public schools in an urban area. The researchers found that obese children were absent significantly more than the normal weight children. Several possible reasons for lower attendance are social difficulties and behavior…
The Relationship Between School-Based Health Centers, Rates of Early Dismissal From School, and Loss of Seat Time
Van Cura, Maureen. Journal of School Health, Vol. 80, No.8, August 2010.This researcher studied two high schools in New York – one with a school-based health center and one without. Controlling for race, gender, age, poverty, and presence of a pre-existing illness, this study shows that school-based health centers have a direct impact on educational outcomes such as attendance.
The Relationship of School Breakfast to Psychosocial and Academic Functioning
Murphy, J. Michael et al. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, vol. 152, September 1998. This study provides strong evidence that higher rates of participation in school breakfast programs are associated with improved student functioning on a broad range of psychosocial and academic measures. Students who increased their participation in the universal free breakfast program had significantly greater increases in…
The Thin Blue Line in Schools: New Evidence on School-Based Policing Across the U.S.
Lucy C. Sorensen, et al., Annenberg Institute, Brown University. In this working paper, researchers use national school-level data to estimate the impacts of sworn law enforcement officer (SRO) presence in public schools. The study finds that SROs increase chronic absenteeism, particularly for students with disabilities, and intensify the use of suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and arrests of students. These latter effects…
Time for Learning: States and Districts. An Exploratory Analysis of NAEP Data
Ginsburg, Alan. Prepared for the National Assessment Governing Board, February 2013. This report is part of an ongoing project to use the data generated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (dubbed the “Nation’s Report Card”) to provide more context for student performance. Mr. Ginsburg’s analysis adds to growing evidence that student absenteeism can hamstring a district’s performance on the…
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…
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