When students frequently miss class, those absences affect more than their own grades. Chronic absenteeism has spillover effects that can disrupt student-teacher relationships, educator morale, and even the academic experiences of students with strong attendance, researchers have found.
These dynamics are of particular concern for schools as they confront declines in school attendance that have accelerated in recent years. (Students are typically considered chronically absent if they miss at least 10 percent of school days in a given year.)
In this downloadable guide, learn how absenteeism disrupts the whole classroom environment.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Kindergarteners Jack Rockwell, 6, Cameron Kenney, 6, and Joey Cournoyer, 5, play on the school’s new swing as classmates wait their turn at Taft Early Learning Center in Uxbridge, Mass., on March 12, 2025. The school redesigned its playground to be more accessible, including an wheelchair-friendly swing.
Students in Robyn Newton’s P.E. class run across the gym at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024. In this K-5 school, movement breaks are incorporated in classrooms, hallways, and on school grounds as a regular part of a students' day.
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