The Hidden Costs of Absenteeism: Uncovering Associations with School Grades and Social and Emotional Wellbeing

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Cultivating Connection: How Supportive Environments Promote Whole-Child Development

Abstract

Student absenteeism is a significant challenge facing many schools across the country. To fill gaps in our understanding of the associations of absenteeism and student outcomes, we explored a large-scale student survey database containing information on student attendance, social and emotional wellbeing, and grades earned in school, as well as school-level attendance rates. There were important moderating effects of school-level attendance rates on the negative associations between student absenteeism and both social and emotional wellbeing and school grades (controlling for sex and race). Although even minimal levels of student absences were associated with reductions in grades and social and emotional wellbeing, school-level attendance compounded the effects; the associations were amplified in low-attendance schools, whereas high-attendance schools offered a protective effect.

Authors

• Pablo Luis Vivas Corrales, University of Minnesota

• Michael C. Rodriguez, University of Minnesota

• Julio Caesar, Bloomington Public Schools