Early Childhood School Attendance Matters: Influence of Students' Early Chronic Absence on Grade 3 to Grade 5 Math Achievement

• In Event: 15.020 - Factors Related to Mathematics Achievement: Attendance, Partnerships, and Cognitively Guided Instruction

Abstract

Students in public education are expected to attend school on a regular basis to learn. This study applied multiple linear regression models and binary logistic regression models to analyze the effect of risk of early chronic absenteeism on later math achievement by using student level longitudinal data. Results showed that students with No Risk of early chronic absenteeism performed significantly better both in state math assessments and had higher probability to achieve assessment proficiency than students with High Risk. Findings in this study contribute to educators, policy makers, and other researchers by raising awareness of students’ attendance in early grade levels and helping them understand the correlation between chronic absence in early childhood and students’ future mathematics achievement.

Authors

• Qinghua Nian, Miami University

• Christopher Cox, Miami University