Chronic absenteeism has become a growing problem nationwide, which increased significantly after the pandemic. Michael Hale, Director of College, Career, and Citizenship Education + Innovation at Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine, says the rate of ongoing chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled, and with it comes other detrimental effects that can seriously derail the future. of the afflicted. students.
“One thing that is a real concern is that chronic absenteeism is now at 30% nationally,” Hale says. “Before, before the pandemic, it was approximately 15 to 16%, which already seems high. And I don't know anyone in education who has heard that number that hasn't been shot down. We all have different ideas about what the problems are. But overall, this is a big concern for the county.”
With absenteeism levels so high, the potential impact it can have on students can be devastating. The challenges resulting from absenteeism can be as common as a lack of preparation for the professional world, but they can also involve serious physical and mental health problems.
So why has chronic absenteeism increased in recent years and what can be done to reverse the trend?
What is the reason for the sudden increase in chronic absenteeism?
While chronic absenteeism has always been an obstacle, the pandemic has shown that there are several ways to help educate students even when they are not present at school. The increased reliance on technology might have had a slight impact on chronic absenteeism, but, as Hale describes, the root of the problem goes deeper than that. Students may not always thrive in a particular environment when it comes to education, whether at school, at home, or anywhere else. However, the school is made to help students achieve their educational goals and at the same time attend to their emotional and social development.
Students are often faced with much more than just test scores and assignments. Absenteeism can be attributed to responsibilities that students must take on to help with household chores in some cases. Other absences are due to accessibility barriers, such as a lack of affordable transportation options to and from school.
Aside from illness, family emergencies, and other necessary cases, some absences can be remedied with the help of the schools involved. And that means schools and families working together to find solutions.
“At the end of the day, it all comes down to the relationships between students, families and the community that schools and families have built,” Hale says. “It helps support students in their educational efforts, whether it's making up work, being able to return to class and not feeling anxious about returning to class. Many students struggle to make the transition. But what we are seeing is that the majority of families and their students will be fine. It is the students who miss 18, 20 days or more who do not necessarily receive the support they need. “They don’t go to school for reasons that really worry us.”
What can be done about chronic absenteeism?
Schools have taken on much more responsibility for educating students and influencing their formative years. However, there are some supports that schools offer that help complement a student's home life. Hale emphasizes that there are definite steps we can take to help curb alarming levels of chronic absenteeism, particularly by fostering a sense of community.
“It's slowing things down and building that relationship,” he says. “Be relentless in fostering that relationship over the many years it may take to change that number for each student. “It has been shown through a lot of research that creating a culture and community within your school that invites attendance and makes you feel like you want to go (to school).”
Hale recommends checking FutureEd Support Manual for ideas and practical solutions. From this, he cites actions that can be taken from the three levels of support:
- Level 1: Intensive Intervention – Includes actions such as providing free lunches and laundry facilities in schools, increased engagement with students and families, health services in schools, and restorative discipline practices.
- Level 2: Early Intervention – Includes actions such as specific home visits, mentors and tutors, mental health supports and specific youth participation.
- Level 3: Universal Prevention – Involves addressing interagency case management, housing insecurity, and school truancy.
Additionally, districts may need to rethink traditional school structures to adapt to cultural changes.
“In terms of a model (to combat chronic absenteeism), it has to start with how schools build their infrastructure, their frameworks around that idea, and how well we really know our students,” Hale says.
The level of chronic absenteeism may have increased in recent years, but educators have more say in how to impact that increase and how to reverse it. With greater involvement in students' lives, a boost now can help change the fortunes of young adults personally and professionally in the future.
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