Falling in 33 of 39 states reporting data, chronic absenteeism rates improved in 2023 but still remained 75 percent higher than the pre-pandemic baseline. Drawing on the American Enterprise Institute’s Return to Learn Tracker Chronic Absenteeism Data Collection, the most comprehensive and current data collection on pandemic and post-pandemic chronic absenteeism, I show that pandemic increases in chronic absenteeism were widespread during the pandemic. Of particular concern, the percentage-point increases in chronic absenteeism were larger in districts and among groups that already had higher chronic absenteeism rates before the pandemic. Given the potential for these rates of chronic absenteeism to hamper urgently needed recovery from pandemic learning loss and its negative association with school culture, chronic absenteeism is likely public schools’ greatest post-pandemic challenge. It shows that pandemic increases in chronic absenteeism were widespread and that they were larger in more-disadvantaged districts and districts that had higher rates of chronic absenteeism before the pandemic—meaning that in many districts, current rates of chronic absenteeism are truly alarming.

Source: New York Times January 31, 2024 07:27 UTC