Absenteeism and School Belonging: Causes and Solutions

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Student absenteeism and the broader challenge of maintaining student engagement represent a growing concern for K-12 public education nationwide. Following the pandemic, the share of chronically absent students (those missing ten percent or more of the school year) nearly doubled, rising from 14.8 percent in 2018-19 to 28.3 percent in 2021-22 (Dee, 2024). Rates have remained stubbornly elevated, standing at 26 percent nationally in 2022-23, with students missing school at levels that threaten academic achievement, on-time graduation, and long-run economic mobility. Because instructional time is cumulative, even modest increases in absences compound into substantial learning loss. This burden falls disproportionately on students of color, low-income students, and communities experiencing external stressors. Notably, absenteeism rates have been highest in districts with larger shares of disadvantaged and low-performing students, reflecting how the pandemic further exacerbated pre-existing inequalities (Malkus, 2024). Therefore, understanding the structural drivers of absenteeism and equipping districts with actionable solutions are central priorities for education policy.

This panel brings together four papers that examine absenteeism from complementary angles, spanning external shocks, student well-being, targeted interventions, and curricular reform. The first paper documents how immigration enforcement actions produce persistent declines in daily attendance, illustrating how policies far outside the schoolhouse reshape who shows up to class. The second paper draws on state-wide medical and educational records from Tennessee to examine the evolving relationship between student mental health and absenteeism, shedding light on a driver of disengagement that has intensified since the pandemic. The third paper examines a districtwide expansion of ethnic studies coursework to determine whether culturally relevant curricula impacts student attendance, behavior, and social-emotional learning (SEL) measures. The fourth paper evaluates the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program home visit program from Connecticut, asking whether direct outreach by teachers and school staff can re-engage chronically absent students and improve attendance, behavior, and achievement. Together, these studies highlight that reversing chronic absenteeism may require districts to look beyond traditional approaches and instead foster environments built on safety, strong school-family connections, and active student engagement.

Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Sara White, Vanderbilt University

Discussant

• Jing Liu, University of Maryland, College Park

Organizer

• Biraj Bisht, University of California Irvine

Individual Presentations

• Understanding Recent Shifts in the Dynamics between Mental Health and Absenteeism for Students in Tennessee - Presenting Author: Liliane Nienstedt, Vanderbilt University

• Immigration Enforcement Actions and Empty Desks: Persistent and Acute Attendance Effects - Presenting Author: Jonathon Acosta, Brown University

• Cultural Relevance, Belonging, and Student Attendance: Evidence from a Districtwide Expansion of Ethnic Studies - Presenting Author: Biraj Bisht, University of California Irvine