Students can’t learn if they don’t show up to class. Yet, the number of students who are “chronically absent” — meaning they’ve missed at least 10 percent of the school year — has soared, a trend that’s affected both K-12 and college.
Pulling these students back into classrooms has become a prime national concern. And that starts with a clear understanding of what’s going on.
Over the past year, EdSurge dived into the details: Why are students missing class? What does it mean? And what can be done about it?
It turns out many forces are at play, including poor student mental health, lack of access to food and shelter, discipline practices, unsafe or unsupportive school environments, and changed family habits around attendance coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps the most important, some argue, is students' relationships with those in the school.
Here, find our collection of articles exploring causes of and solutions to chronic absenteeism.
