As the new school year approaches, a collaborative work group has been established in North Carolina to tackle the growing issue of chronic absenteeism in schools. Recent findings indicate that while chronic absenteeism nationwide has seen only a slight decrease of 1-2 percentage points, a notable trend has emerged: an increasing number of high-performing students are among the chronically absent.
Dr. Wendy Miller, the former superintendent of Craven County Schools, highlighted the importance of support systems for families, stating, “We want to provide those initial supports through social workers. Families need to be held accountable eventually.” This acknowledgement comes at a time when approximately one in five students in Craven County was classified as chronically absent during the previous school year.
Katherine Theodorou, a Craven County parent, emphasized the need for schools to recognize students as individuals rather than mere statistics, expressing frustration with the communication process surrounding absences. “I called the school, left a message. They would not call me back, so I ended up having a Facebook post and that got their attention,” she recounted, illustrating the challenges parents face in engaging with school administrations.
Chronic absenteeism is a prevalent issue throughout many districts, revealing a substantial impact not only on student performance but also on graduation rates. Michael Maher, the Chief Accountability Officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), noted that while the state had improved prior to the pandemic, there has been a regression post-pandemic.
The work group, formed in Fall 2024, has set an ambitious goal of halving the chronic absenteeism rate in the state over the next five years. They have also identified two categories of chronic absenteeism: persistent absences, characterized by regular missed days, and acute absences, where students miss school in clusters due to specific reasons, such as illness or injury.
Maher suggested that approaches need to shift away from punitive measures associated with truancy laws. Instead, he advocates for early communication with parents, exemplified by friendly outreach to inform them of their child’s absences and to ensure support systems are in place at home.
In Craven County, a student is deemed chronically absent when they miss more than 10 percent of the school year, which translates to 18 days in a typical 180-day academic calendar. The repercussions of absenteeism extend beyond attendance, affecting test scores and overall student outcomes.
To address this complex issue, the Department of Public Instruction plans to develop a dashboard to highlight successful practices in high-performing schools and share effective strategies with other districts. Data from the 2024-2025 school year will be released soon, providing greater insight into the situation and fostering a collective effort to combat chronic absenteeism among all students.
With these proactive measures in place, there is hope for a positive change in the upcoming school year, aimed at creating a supportive educational environment for every student.