Chronic absenteeism is still up in schools across the US

By Natalie P. McNeal | Stacker Canva (Stacker) – American students are coming back to the classroom after the pandemic, but they still aren’t attending class at pre-COVID-19 rates. HeyTutor, an in-person and online tutoring provider, looked at data published by FutureEd, a Georgetown University think tank, to gauge how student absenteeism has changed since the 2018-19 school year. Not all states publish this data in accessible formats every year, but FutureEd’s study found that of the nine states where comprehensive data is available, all have reported that student absenteeism rates have fallen since 2021-22, but are still up significantly from 2018-19. The organization defines a chronically absent student as someone who misses 10% or more of the school year, regardless of the reason. Chronic absenteeism may indicate a student is experiencing significant obstacles, such as mental health challenges or issues with transportation, the researchers wrote. Irregular student attendance doesn’t only harm said student: It can also make it difficult for teachers to stay on schedule with the curriculum, the effects of which can trickle down to the students who regularly attend class. The problem of chronic absenteeism can present real consequences for students long into their adult lives. At...