Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation's Schools

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CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IN THE

NATION'S SCHOOLS

An unprecedented look at a hidden educational crisis.

— U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION



Powered by InformED and the 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection.

New Data Illuminates the Extent of Chronic Absenteeism

Education can only fulfill its promise as the great equalizer—a force that can overcome differences in

privilege and background—when we work to ensure that students are in school every day and receive the

supports they need to learn and thrive.

At the same time, we know that many students experience tremendous adversity in their lives—including

poverty, health challenges, community violence, and difficult family circumstances—that make it difficult for

them to take advantage of the opportunity to learn at school.

Students who are chronically absent—meaning they miss at least 15 days of school in a year—are at

serious risk of falling behind in school. Yet, too few states report information about chronic absenteeism

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and, for too long, this crisis in our nation's public elementary and secondary schools has not been fully

understood. The release of the Department's 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) marks a turning

point in the effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate chronic absenteeism so that all students have a better

chance of reaching their full potential. The data from the CRCD is drawn from nearly every public school in

the country and helps us understand who is chronically absent, at what grade levels chronic absenteeism

tends to occur, and how chronic absenteeism compares community-by-community and state-by-state.

Note: Data included in this story may differ slightly from other published reports due to

certain data decisions. Update 10/27/16: The state of Florida, on behalf of its school

districts, corrected data it previously submitted to the 2013-2014 Civil Rights Data

Collection. Those data are incorporated in this revised data story. See more information

here.

Our charts are interactive! Hover over or click on chart elements to learn more about

specific data points and, where they appear, use buttons to filter charts by select groups.




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OVER 6 MILLION 

students missed 15 or more days of school in 2013-14.

That's 14 percent of the student population—or about 1 in 7 students.
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Let's take a closer look at which groups of students were more likely to be chronically absent. Disparities in

chronic absenteeism by key demographic characteristics are evident, though unacceptable levels of chronic

absenteeism exist for all students.

While prevalent across the country, students of different races and ethnicities

experience chronic absenteeism at different rates.

This chart illustrates the percentage of students, by race or ethnicity, who were chronically absent in

2013-14.01020304050% CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN 2013-14In 2013-14, 13.7% of Overall students, or

6,520,948 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 12.7% of White students, or 3,065,289

students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 17.3% of Black students, or 1,247,172 students, were

chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.1% of Hispanic students, or 1,640,116 students, were chronically

absent.In 2013-14, 7.1% of Asian students, or 165,814 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14,

22.5% of American Indian students, or 119,916 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 21.4%

of Pacific Islander students, or 45,284 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 16.4% of Two or

more races students, or 237,357 students, were chronically absent.OverallWhiteBlackHispanicAsianAmerican

IndianPacific IslanderTwo or more races

The disparities are striking. Consider the relative differences: compared to their white peers, the groups with

the highest rates of chronic absenteeism — American Indian and Pacific Islander students — are each over

65 percent more likely to lose three weeks of school or more, black students 36 percent more likely, and

Hispanic students 11 percent more likely.

See chronic absenteeism rates for other student groups in the next chart.

View Chart By:

Chronic absenteeism is about 20% less likely among English learners than nonEnglish learners.

Fill in alt text for screen readers! Use .altText1().01020304050% CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN 2013-

ENGLISH LEARNER STATUS DISABILITY STATUS GENDER
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14In 2013-14, 13.7% of Overall students, or 6,520,948 students, were chronically absent.In

2013-14, 11.3% of English Learners students, or 522,547 students, were chronically

absent.In 2013-14, 14.0% of Non-English Learners students, or 5,981,919 students, were

chronically absent.OverallEnglishLearnersNon-EnglishLearners

One notable trend: English learners, who face significant barriers in school and society, are 1.2 times less

likely to be chronically absent than their non-English learner peers. Eleven percent of English learners are

chronically absent compared to 14 percent of non-English learners.

The same is not true for students with disabilities who are almost 1.5 times more likely to be chronically

absent than students without disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is intended to

ensure all students with disabilities have access to a free, appropriate education yet chronic absenteeism is

a barrier that gets in the way of achieving that goal.

At roughly 14 percent each, male and female students are similarly likely to be chronically absent.

Lost Along the Way

Chronic absenteeism occurs at every grade level but is more prevalent in some grades than others. Chronic

absenteeism rates are highest in high school, according to data in the 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection.

Other research suggests that students in the early elementary grades also experience high rates of chronic

absenteeism, which may be masked in analyses that are only available at the school level (as is the case

here). Understanding when students are most at risk will help schools and advocates better target

interventions to improve student outcomes.

Nearly 1 in 5 students in high school are chronically absent.

Fill in alt text for screen readers!01020304050% CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN 2013-14In 2013-14, 10.9% of

Elementary students, or 2,405,502 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 12.5% of Middle

students, or 1,189,930 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 18.9% of High students, or

2,624,357 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.8% of Other students, or 301,159
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students, were chronically absent.ElementaryMiddleHighOther

Overall, almost 20 percent of students in high school are chronically absent compared to more than 12

percent of students in middle school. The chronic absenteeism rate was the lowest for elementary school

students, at 11 percent. For more information on how we defined grade levels, see the data notes.

Next, we looked at how chronic absenteeism varied across grade levels for specific groups of students.

View Chart By:

Chronic absenteeism spikes in high school for students of every race and ethnicity.

Fill in alt text for screen readers! Use .altText1().01020304050% CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN 2013-14In 2013-

14, Overall, 12.7% of White students, or 3,065,289 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14,

Overall, 17.3% of Black students, or 1,247,172 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, Overall,

14.1% of Hispanic students, or 1,640,116 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, Overall, 7.1%

of Asian students, or 165,814 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, Overall, 22.5% of

American Indian students, or 119,916 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, Overall, 21.4% of

Pacific Islander students, or 45,284 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, Overall, 16.4% of

Two or more races students, or 237,357 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 9.7% of

Elementary school White students, or 1,029,485 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 12.3%

of Middle school White students, or 614,989 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 17.3% of

High school White students, or 1,273,607 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 13.8% of

Other school White students, or 147,208 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.6% of

Elementary school Black students, or 486,911 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.3% of

Middle school Black students, or 200,883 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 23.4% of

High school Black students, or 491,264 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 17.9% of Other

school Black students, or 68,114 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 10.9% of Elementary

school Hispanic students, or 636,880 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 12.4% of Middle

school Hispanic students, or 278,506 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 21.2% of High

school Hispanic students, or 663,584 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.7% of Other

school Hispanic students, or 61,146 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 6.7% of

Elementary school Asian students, or 73,264 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 4.8% of

RACE & ETHNICITY GENDER DISABILITY STATUS ENGLISH LEARNER STATUS
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Middle school Asian students, or 22,026 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 9.3% of High

school Asian students, or 65,157 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 8.0% of Other school

Asian students, or 5,367 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 19.4% of Elementary school

American Indian students, or 46,607 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 22.2% of Middle

school American Indian students, or 22,071 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 27.6% of

High school American Indian students, or 42,629 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 22.4%

of Other school American Indian students, or 8,609 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14,

20.0% of Elementary school Pacific Islander students, or 21,132 students, were chronically absent.In

2013-14, 19.2% of Middle school Pacific Islander students, or 7,298 students, were chronically

absent.In 2013-14, 25.7% of High school Pacific Islander students, or 15,060 students, were

chronically absent.In 2013-14, 19.0% of Other school Pacific Islander students, or 1,794 students,

were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 14.3% of Elementary school Two or more races students, or

111,223 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 16.2% of Middle school Two or more races

students, or 44,157 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 21.4% of High school Two or more

races students, or 73,056 students, were chronically absent.In 2013-14, 16.4% of Other school Two

or more races students, or 8,921 students, were chronically absent.WhiteBlackHispanicAsianAmerican

IndianPacific IslanderTwo or more racesElementaryMiddleHighOtherOverall

For each subgroup of students there is a similar pattern: the likelihood of chronic absenteeism increases as

students progress into high school. Notably, the stronger overall attendance observed among English

learners dissipates over grade levels, such that they experience higher chronic absenteeism than their nonEnglish learner peers when they reach high school.

The Geography of Chronic Absenteeism

Students experience chronic absenteeism from coast to coast. Disturbingly, approximately 500 school

districts reported that 30 percent or more of their students missed at least three weeks of school in 2013-14.
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* See data notes.

Why Chronic Absenteeism Matters: What the Research Says

Chronic absenteeism is widespread—about one out of every seven students missed three weeks or more of

school in 2013-14. That translates to approximately 98 million school days lost. Research suggests the

reasons for chronic absenteeism are as varied as the challenges our students and families face—including

poor health, limited transportation, and a lack of safety—which can be particularly acute in disadvantaged

communities and areas of poverty.

Whatever its causes, chronic absenteeism can be devastating:

Chronic absenteeism
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Children who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten,

and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the

third grade. Students who cannot read at grade level by the end

of third grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to

drop out of high school.

A study of public school students in Utah found that an incidence

of chronic absenteeism in even a single year between 8th and

12th grade was associated with a seven-fold increase in the

likelihood of dropping out.

High school dropout, which chronically absent students are more

likely to experience, has been linked to poor outcomes later in

life, from poverty and diminished health to involvement in the

criminal justice system.

may prevent children

from reaching early

learning milestones.



Irregular attendance

can be a better

predictor of whether

students will drop out

before graduation than

test scores.



Frequent absences

from school can shape

adulthood.



   

The Path Forward: Every Student, Every Day
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The very students who tend to face significant challenges and need the most educational supports are often

missing the most school.

When our teachers, principals, policymakers, and others have access to robust data on the extent and

nature of chronic absenteeism, we are all in a better position to provide students with the supports they

need to stem this crisis in our schools.

Through an array of resources, the Obama administration is committed to helping ensure all our students,

especially the most disadvantaged, are in school every day, including:

Supports coordinated community action that addresses the

underlying causes of local chronic absenteeism affecting millions

of children in our nation's public schools each year.

The My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Success Mentors Initiative is the

nation's first-ever effort to reach and support more of our nation's

highest-need students by scaling an evidence-based, data-driven

mentor model through our schools. Over the next three to five

years, the initiative aims to reduce chronic absenteeism and drive

school success by connecting chronically absent students to

Every Student, Every

Day: A national

initiative to address

and eliminate chronic

absenteeism.



My Brother's Keeper

Success Mentor

Initiative: An evidencebased, data-driven

approach to close the

opportunity gap and

drive school success

for more of our nation's

students.


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caring, trained adults who can serve as mentors.

The CRDC shines a spotlight on data that enable us to

understand the successes and challenges of schools and school

districts in providing educational opportunity to all of our nation's

children.

The Civil Rights Data

Collection (CRDC): A

biennial survey

required by the

Department's Office for

Civil Rights since

1968.



Data Notes

Data Exclusion Rules

Data included in this story may differ slightly from other published reports due to certain data decisions. For the purposes of these

analyses, schools with incomplete or inconsistent data values were excluded. Less than 5% of schools were excluded for the following

reasons:

1. The chronic absenteeism question was not applicable to the school (the school must have students enrolled in grades K–12).

2. The school reported incomplete data for enrollment and/or the chronic absenteeism count for at least one race/ethnicity subgroup.

3. The chronic absenteeism count was larger than the K–12 enrollment for at least one race/ethnicity subgroup. Schools with partial or

missing data for students with disabilities or English learners were included in all analyses except those that focused on these

subgroups.

Grade Level Definitions

School grade levels were defined using the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) definition: elementary schools are those in

which the lowest grade offered is PK through grade 3 and the highest is PK through grade 8, middle schools are those in which the

lowest grade offered is grade 4 through grade 7 and the highest is grade 4 through grade 9, high schools are those in which the lowest

grade offered is grade 7 through grade 12 and the highest is grade 12, other schools are those with any other configuration that does
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not fall within the previous three categories.

Map Notes

Data might be missing from the chronic absenteeism map if:

1. A district did not report chronic absenteeism data or the data were inconsistent.

2. A district that reported chronic absenteeism data did not match with the NCES district boundary file.

3. District boundaries overlapped and we could not associate reported data with a unique district boundary.

4. Twenty-five percent of district enrollment was in schools with incomplete or inconsistent data (see Data Exclusion Rules).

District data displayed on the map may not be based on all schools in the district. All districts with data have complete and consistent

data for at least 75 percent of their enrollment.

Document History

This data story was originally issued on June 7, 2016. On October 27, 2016, we updated the data story to incorporate corrected data

submitted by the state of Florida on behalf of its school districts.