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The rates of students skipping school remains high following a trend that surged upwards during the COVID pandemic, according to a recent study.
"Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic," The New York Times reported, citing the American Enterprise Institute.
A student who is chronically absent from school typically misses at least 10 percent of a given school year, or 18 days.
The increase in chronic absenteeism was particularly high at schools that closed their doors and focused on virtual learning, with 28% of students at schools with the longest school closures becoming chronically absent in 2023, per data shared by The Times. That number was compared to a 25% chronic absenteeism rate at both the "middle" and "most in-person" schools.
The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) found "chronic absenteeism rates improved in 2023 but still remained 75 percent higher than the pre-pandemic baseline."
"Chronic absenteeism increased for all district types, but rates were highest in districts with low achievement and higher poverty, affecting over one in three students," the AEI study also found.
The alarming trend of chronic absenteeism is seen in "districts big and small, and across income and race," The Times reported. "For districts in wealthier areas, chronic absenteeism rates have about doubled, to 19 percent in the 2022-23 school year from 10 percent before the pandemic, a New York Times analysis of the data found." --->READ MORE HERE
On average, nationally, more and more students are not showing up inside the classrooms in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data shows there are a variety of factors, including switching to virtual learning.
Now, school districts here in the metro are working to reverse this rising trend.
“Ensuring that our students are attending school as often as possible is going to be something that’s really going to help combat absenteeism,” Erica Jones said.
Jones is shocked at the number of students who are not showing up for in-person learning. As President of the Mississippi Association of Educators, she says having a hands-on educational experience is the most effective.
“It makes a difference not only at the elementary level but throughout middle and high school as well,” she explained. “Attending school is key.”
According to the United States Department of Education, more than 14 million students were chronically absent from the classroom in the 2021 and 2022 school year. This represents a huge increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 16 percent in 2019.
Disengagement, lack of support, health challenges and lack of transportation are other key factors the Department of Education says is leading to students not returning to the classroom.
When it comes to some Mississippi school districts, school leaders say parents are depending on the hybrid model of learning. As a result, some students do not attend school at all or just on certain days of the week. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
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