Exploring the Causes and Consequences of Chronic Absenteeism in a San Francisco Bay Area Community

• In Event: High School Reform: Examining Factors Related to Attendance, School Engagement, and Credit Recovery

Abstract

When students are not in school, they miss the opportunity to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Research has shown that students with low attendance are at heightened risk of potentially deleterious behavior. Although there is an extensive body of research in the area of truancy, chronic absenteeism is not generally measured or tracked and is therefore not well understood. This analysis explores the causes and consequences of chronic absenteeism in a San Francisco Bay Area community, investigating the link among absenteeism and school climate, student and parental receipt of state benefits, and poverty, among other factors. We determine which characteristics are correlated with students’ chronic absenteeism and the longitudinal outcomes for students who are chronically absent.

Authors

• Monika Sanchez, Stanford University

• Sebastian Castrechini, Stanford University

• Rebecca A. London, Stanford University