This report provides baseline data on attendance in the Chicago Public Schools. The report is divided into four sections and two tables. The first section, "The Effects of Student Assistance," examines the relationship between student attendance, achievement, and the dropout rate. The second section, "Attendance Statistics," presents median attendance rates for elementary and high schools and shows the variation in attendance rates between schools. Next, a section headed "Statistical Analysis of Attendance Rates" examines the relationship between a school's attendance rate and other factors like attendance rates from previous years or a school's achievement level. The fourth section, "Attendance Improvement," discusses research on the components of an effective attendance policy as well as how improvement of school organization can have a positive effect on attendance. The report continues with the two tables, one for high schools and the other for elementary schools, which together provide attendance data from 1985-86 to 1988-89 for every Chicago public school. Schools are grouped by geographical area so that a school can be compared to other schools nearby. Indexes follow, with a map to help locate a school within its area. (DM)