Belfanz and Byrnes (2012) estimate that approximately 5 to 7.5 million youth in public schools in the United States are chronically absent from school. Compulsory school attendance laws mandate students to attend school for a specified time period. Even with compulsory attendance laws in place, there are children who miss school. Attendance laws are not sufficient in addressing absenteeism. The impact of absenteeism on children is significant in that increased absences from school are associated with lower levels of academic achievement, higher dropout rates, and increased likelihood of encounters with the juvenile justice system (Belfanz & Byrnes, 2012). Higher levels of absenteeism are likely associated with a greater likelihood of not meeting proficiency expectations. Given the aforementioned findings and a lack of comprehensive research in Mississippi, the current research was conducted to evaluate the potential relationship between academic performance and school attendance in the State of Mississippi. Results indicate that relationships similar to those found in typically studied students in other states are also present in students who attend public schools in Mississippi. In particular, student attendance in 5th grade was significantly related to student attendance in 8th grade (r[superscript 2] = 0.47, p = < 0.01). Additionally, when compared to students with less than five absences, students with greater than 18 absences rank, on average, 11.03 percentile points lower on the language arts assessment in 5th grade. Future research should explore the development and effectiveness of intervention strategies that seek to improve school attendance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]