Student absenteeism is a persistent concern in K-12 education. Not only are the negative academic and social consequences of excessive absenteeism well documented, but states, districts, and schools are increasingly being held accountable for student attendance. As research indicates that disruptions in students' learning contexts may exacerbate…

Although educational policy makers uphold that chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year) is damaging to students' schooling outcomes, there is little empirical research to match. This study considers the role of spillover effects of chronic absenteeism on classmates' achievement. It does so by utilizing a large-scale…

This article reports findings from a quasi-experimental study of the impact of a summer robotics program for urban middle-grade students. The study focuses on student engagement, measured by school attendance rate the year following the program. Program students, who were nearly all low-income minority students, were matched to comparison students…

Students with low attendance miss important learning and developmental opportunities and research has shown that they are at heightened risk of negative outcomes. Although there is an extensive body of research on truancy, chronic absenteeism is not generally measured or tracked in school data systems and is therefore not as well understood. This…

This brief maps the national attendance gap--the who, what, when, where and why of absenteeism--using research drawn from national sources as well as attendance data gathered across states from students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Health emerges again and again, both as a challenge and as a solution to improving…

As policymakers debate the merits of new tests and intervention strategies to improve student achievement, some districts are exploring a more basic warning sign: Are students even showing up? A growing consensus of research points to chronic absence--defined by the national policy group Attendance Counts as missing 10 percent of school or…

This paper has been written specifically from two perspectives. First, because of the research and professional activity carried out by the author in the field for over forty years. Second, as a consequence of the author chairing the National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales and writing the subsequent Report (NBAR 2008), as well as…

In 2011-2012, AISD prekindergarten enrollment was 5,525, a decrease by less than 2% from the 2010-2011 year. The vast majority of pre-K students were economically disadvantaged (94%) and/or English language learners (58%). Attendance rates for pre-K students increased by 0.6% from the prior year. [Funding for this report was provided by Title I…

The Student Mobility Index is designed to be a highly sensitive statistic of classroom disruption. The idea behind the statistic is that any student entries or exits to and from a classroom during the year, over however many days, contribute to a disruption of instructional continuity and obstacle to institutional organization. This kind of…

This study is the first of its kind to concentrate upon the views of secondary staff towards attendance issues within two distinct, but similarly-sized, authorities in England. The fieldwork was sponsored by the two authorities in accordance with their specific needs and conducted in 2003. As part of this fieldwork, 40 headteachers, deputy heads,…

This paper presents the findings obtained from a detailed questionnaire completed by selected head teachers (n = 129), deputy heads (n = 81), middle managers (n = 178) and form tutors (n = 91) in schools within local education authorities located throughout England and Wales. The questionnaire focused upon the respondents' views on the best ways…

Author suggests that the challenges to pupil personnel services are increasing and changing, and believes services have to understand the direction of those challenges. (Author)

Based on information from state education agencies for the 1988-89 school year and the 1988 fiscal year, this report on public elementary and secondary aggregate nonfiscal data and school revenues and expenditures also includes an appendix containing final data for the 1987-88 school year and the 1987 fiscal year. The statistics represent two of…

The statistics presented in this report relate for the most part to the public elementary and secondary schools. In no case have the statistics of colleges, universities, and professional schools been included. A few figures are included, however, for kindergarten and private elementary and secondary schools. The information contained herein was…