Every British Columbia (BC) school district has been mandated and funded to initiate attendance management programs. Three "advisory" and seven "pilot" school districts have been announced. While the issue is evolving, this paper provides some background, research, and details about the current proposals for attendance…

U.S. teachers take off an average of 9.4 days (roughly 1 day per month) each during a typical 180-day school year. By that estimate, the average child has substitute teachers for more than six months of his school career. The education department reported after the 2003-04 school year that 5.3 percent of U.S. teachers are absent on any given day,…

Data on teacher absenteeism in the U.S. as a whole as well as in specific states and districts indicate that the problem is serious and growing. A review of research findings on more than 15 factors affecting teacher absenteeism shows that time of year, levels of faculty agreement and community support, teacher interdependence, and requirements…