Attendance

Education news, analysis, and opinion on the importance of going to school regularly and the effects of truancy or chronic absences on learning
Rebecca Grabill/E+
Rebecca Grabill/E+
States This State Set Up a Program to Reduce Chronic Absences. It Worked
A program in Connecticut sent school employees to families' homes to address absenteeism's root causes.
Caitlynn Peetz, January 26, 2023
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4 min read
Photo of shadow of boy on wall
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Student Well-Being More Schools Are Offering Student Mental Health Days. Here's What You Need to Know
New York might join a dozen other states now permitting students excused absences from classes to look after their mental well-being.
Arianna Prothero, January 19, 2023
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5 min read
School nurse Heather Gordon checks the throat of 4th grader Isaac Vehikite, 10, at Elwood Intermediate School in Elwood, Ind., in 2016. Her camera relays images and information to a doctor who can make a remote diagnosis.
School nurse Heather Gordon checks the throat of 4th grader Isaac Vehikite, 10, at Elwood Intermediate School in Elwood, Ind., in 2016. Her camera relays the images and information to a doctor who makes the diagnosis.
John P. Cleary/The Herald-Bulletin via AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Telemedicine Could Help Keep Kids in Class
Schools' use of telehealth services expanded during the pandemic, and a study suggests it helps reduce absenteeism.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 13, 2023
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3 min read
Empty classroom desk isolated on a white background with a medical mask hanging off of the back of the desk.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Are Perfect Attendance Awards Fundamentally Flawed? Some School Leaders Say Yes
Encouraging an ‘in-school-no-matter-what’ mindset is counterproductive to public health.
Caitlynn Peetz, December 23, 2022
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4 min read
Closeup shot of a group of unrecognizable young people holding plants growing out of soil
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion LAUSD Superintendent: These Are Our 4 Priorities Right Now
Is there hope for the future of public education in America? Yes, writes Los Angeles schools chief Alberto M. Carvalho.
Alberto Carvalho, December 9, 2022
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5 min read
Photograph of a low angle view of children with backpacks climbing the school staircase.
E+/Getty
School & District Management 5 Big Hurdles to Learning Recovery, According to District Leaders
Student absences, staffing shortages, and a lack of reliable data are among the dampers to ambitious academic plans.
Evie Blad, November 17, 2022
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4 min read
A child in a red jacket and red backpack walked on a sidewalk covered in snow.
Dmitry Vorobyev/iStock/Getty<br/>
Student Well-Being Expert Tips on Tackling Student Absences During the Fall and Winter
Planning ahead and using creative approaches to student engagement can help.
Evie Blad, November 10, 2022
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4 min read
Empty classroom of desks.
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being Respiratory Illnesses Force Schools to Close, Hurting Attendance Efforts
Support for students returning from illness is critical.
Evie Blad, November 9, 2022
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6 min read
Teacher Lauren Cheney talks with a student in a T.E.A.M. Day School (Targeting Emotional Aptitude Mindfully) classroom at Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township, New Jersey on October 4, 2022.
Teacher Lauren Cheney talks with a teenager in a school program for students with severe anxiety and school avoidance at Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township, N.J.
Eric Sucar for Education Week
Student Well-Being Addressing the Link Between Anxiety, Depression, and Student Attendance
Issues such as severe anxiety and depression can have a direct effect on school avoidance and attendance issues.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 17, 2022
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7 min read
Young child wearing a mask getting a vaccine.
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Student Absences May Spike Due to Low Vaccination Rates, Weaker Immunity
School leaders should brace for waves of respiratory infections this fall.

Sarah D. Sparks, August 30, 2022
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4 min read
LaTosha Walker knocks on the door of a home where a student lives that has dropped out of school due to attendance records to talk to them about enrollment in Lowcountry Acceleration Academy in North Charleston on Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
LaTosha Walker, an enrollment coach for Lowcountry Acceleration Academy, knocks on the door of the home of a student who dropped out of school in Charleston, S.C.
Henry Taylor for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness 'Graduation Counselors' Go Door-to Door to Find Missing Students
On tree-lined streets and trailer parks, workers knock on doors to offer students a second chance at graduation.
Eesha Pendharkar, August 29, 2022
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6 min read
Empty desks within a classroom
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management What the Research Says Teacher and Student Absenteeism Is Getting Worse
So says new federal survey data, suggesting schools should start now to get students reconnected by the fall.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 7, 2022
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4 min read
Image of buses lined up with stop signs extended out.
Getty
Equity & Diversity Study Links Longer School Bus Rides to Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism rates are as high as 12 percent for students with long bus rides, researchers find.
Williamena Kwapo, June 16, 2022
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2 min read
Woman sitting at a desk in front of a monitor showing a database of different types of charts.
DigitalVision/Vectors/Getty
Student Achievement With So Many Kids Struggling in School, Experts Call for Revamping 'Early Warning Systems'
A new collaborative says the indicators developed to flag students at risk of not graduating need an update for post-pandemic schools.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 18, 2022
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4 min read
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