Student Absenteeism
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Headline

In 2005, Asian/Pacific Islander students in grades four and eight were the least likely to have missed three or more days of school. American Indian students were the most likely to have missed three or more days of school and Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white students fell in the middle. (See Figure 1)

Importance

School attendance is an important factor for school performance among youth. Studies show that higher attendance is related to higher achievement for students of all backgrounds.¹ Students who attend school regularly score higher on achievement tests than their peers who are frequently absent.²

Many factors can lead to student absenteeism. Family health or financial concerns, poor school climate, drug and alcohol use, transportation problems and differing community attitudes towards education are all conditions that can affect whether or not a child is attending school.³

Chronic truancy (regular unexcused absence), in particular, is a predictor of undesirable outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, school drop out, substance abuse, and gang and criminal activity.^4,5

Trends

From 1994 to 2005, there was no significant change in the percentage of fourth grade students who reported that they were absent from school for 3 or more days in the last month (from 18 percent in 1994 to 19 percent in 2005). However, among eighth grade students this percentage declined slightly from 22 percent in 1994 to 20 percent in 2005.((See Table 1) The percentage of eighth grade non-Hispanic black and Hispanic students who reported missing three or more days of school decreased significantly from 1994 to 2005 (from 27 percent in 1994 to 24 percent and 23 percent, respectively, in 2005). Attendance among fourth grade students in these groups remained stable from 1994 to 2005.(See Table 1)

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Differences by Race and Ethnicity

In 2005, both fourth and eighth grade American Indian students were more likely than Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white students to have missed three or more days of school in the last month (25 percent versus 21, 21, and 18 percent, respectively in fourth grade and 29 percent versus 23, 24, and 19 percent, respectively, in eighth grade). In both grades, Asian/Pacific Islander students were the least likely to have missed three or more days in the past month (13 percent in fourth grade and 12 percent in eighth grade). Between American Indian and Asian/Pacific Islander students the attendance gap averaged 14.5 percentage points. (See Figure 1)

Differences by Disability

Students classified as having a disability are more likely than students without a disability to have missed three or more school days within the past month. In 2005, 29 percent of eighth graders with a disability reported missing three or more school days within the past month, compared with 20 percent of students without a disability. (See Figure 2)

Differences by Percentage of Students in School Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch

Students attending schools where more than 75 percent of the students were eligible for free or reduced price lunch are more likely to report missing three or more days of school than students attending schools with a 10 percent or lower eligibility rate. In 2005, 25 percent of eight graders and 22 percent of fourth graders at schools with greater than a 75 percent eligibility rate reported being absent from school for more than three days in the past month. In comparison, 17 percent of eighth grade students and 16 percent of fourth grade students reported missing three or more days in schools where 10 percent or fewer students were eligible. (See Figure 3)

Related Indicators

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State and Local Estimates

NAEP Data Explorer. 1994-2005 Reading Assessments.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/.

International Estimates

International estimates are available from the Trends in International Math and Science Study publication, How Serious are School Attendance Problems? School Contexts for Learning and Instruction: http://timss.bc.edu/PDF/t03_download/T03_M_Chap8.pdf (See Exhibit 8.6)

National Goals

The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in January 2002, provides increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools as well as more flexibility for states and local agencies in how they use federal education dollars. The Adequate Yearly Progress measures hold elementary and middle schools accountable for student attendance. For more information visit: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

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What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

Click here to view examples of programs and interventions that research has evaluated for this indicator. View programs

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Research References

¹Epstein, J.L. and Sheldon, S.B. (2002). "Present and Accounted For: Improving Student Attendance through Family and Community Involvement." The Journal of Educational Research, 95.

²Ibid.

³Teasley, M.L. (2004). "Absenteeism and Truancy: Risk, Protection, and Best Practice Implications for School Social Workers." Children and Schools, 26(2): 117-128.

⁴McCluskey, C.P., Bynum, T.S., Patchin, J.W. (2004). "Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: An Assessment of an Early Truancy Initiative." Crime and Delinquency, 50(2), 214-234.

⁵Baker, M.L., Sigmon, J.N., and Nugent, M.E. (2001). "Truancy Reduction: Keeping Students in School." Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. US Department of Justice. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/188947.pdf

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Definition

From 1994 to 2000, students responded to the question, "How many days of school did you miss last month?" After 2001, students responded to, "How many days were you absent from school in the last month?" Accommodations were not permitted in 1994.

Data Source

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. "Student Absenteeism." The Condition of Education 2006. (24-2006). Table 24-2. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2006/section3/table.asp?tableID=480

Raw Data Source

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Assessments (NAEP), 1994, 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2005 Reading Assessments. Accessed through the NAEP data tool at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/

Approximate Date of Next Update

2007

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