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The tiny Forks of Salmon Elementary School District in the far north of California reported that 100 percent of its students – all 12 of them – missed more than three weeks of school in 2013-14, a lapse that researchers say makes it more likely the students will drop out. It’s a speck of information about the district but a troubling one and now, for the first time, the rate of “chronic absenteeism” at Forks of Salmon Elementary and other districts across California and the nation is widely available for parents, nonprofit organizations and educators.
A data map of school districts with high rates of chronic absenteeism, defined as missing three or more weeks of school, uses the first collection by the federal Office for Civil Rights of chronic absenteeism data nationwide. California school districts submitted their information from 2013-14, and the data map provides the first statewide glimpse of chronic absenteeism. The Oakland nonprofit Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University created the map, which was released Tuesday.
Nearly every school district in the state and, for that matter, the nation has a problem with chronic absenteeism, according to a report that accompanied the data release. The analysis is meant to show both how widespread chronic absenteeism is and where such problems are concentrated, said Robert Balfanz, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University who leads the Everyone Graduates Center, in a phone call with reporters.
“By middle and high school, it is a surefire predictor of kids being on the path to dropout, not success,” said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works.
In California, the researchers found that 1 in 4 students who have serious attendance problems are enrolled in just 14 school districts, including, as expected, the largest school district in the state – Los Angeles Unified (12.7 percent chronic absenteeism rate) – as well as the relatively small Antelope Valley Union High district (28.1 percent) north of Los Angeles. Districts in the group of 14 have at least 1,800 chronically absent students a year.
The other 12 districts with the highest concentrations of chronically absent students are: San Diego Unified (11.6 percent), Fresno Unified (18.4 percent), Long Beach Unified (12.7 percent), Kern Union High (23.3 percent), San Bernardino City Unified (15.1 percent), Elk Grove Unified (12.3 percent), Stockton Unified (19.1 percent), West Contra Costa Unified (21.6 percent), Sacramento City Unified (14.8 percent), Oakland Unified (16.6 percent), San Juan Unified (14.7 percent) and Moreno Valley Unified (17.3 percent).
Statewide, the chronic absenteeism rate is 12 percent, but 12 California districts have chronic absentee rates above 30 percent, according to the report. Those districts were not identified.
“To solve chronic absenteeism we have to understand where the challenge is greatest, where it’s smallest, and where it’s moderate,” Balfanz said. “From there, we can tailor our approach.”
Rural areas with high rates of chronic absenteeism were tracked as well, even though their relative number of students was small. Those school districts tend to serve students who come from low-income families and who are more likely to be white, Balfanz said.
Chronic absenteeism, beginning as early as preschool, has emerged as an indicator of whether students will go on to graduate from high school.
“By middle and high school, it is a surefire predictor of kids being on the path to dropout, not success,” said Hedy Chang, co-author of the report and executive director of Attendance Works, during the phone call with reporters.
The rate is not the same as truancy, which counts only unexcused absences, or average daily attendance, which can obscure a small number of students who are missing weeks of school whether excused, unexcused or caused by suspension.
California is expected to begin collecting chronic absenteeism data from districts in late spring 2017, based on attendance for the 2016-17 school year. The data will be entered into the statewide student information database to fulfill a requirement of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal education law.
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Nearly a third of the 930 districts statewide that reported data had a higher rate of chronic absenteeism in 2022-23 than the year before.
Comments (5)
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CarolineSF 8 years ago8 years ago
Because high absenteeism directly correlates with socioeconomic status and demographics (which correlate with unstable homes/living situations, among other pathologies). I recommend the book “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance for a number of reasons.
Manuel 8 years ago8 years ago
The presentation of the data leaves much to be desired. The reader is first told that 1 in 4 absentee students are enrolled in 14 districts, with rates of absenteeism ranging from 11.6 to 28.1%. These districts are named. Then the reader is told that 12 other districts have 30% absentee rates. This can certainly lead to confusion. Why? Because the lede is buried. If the article is trying to tell us who are the district … Read More
The presentation of the data leaves much to be desired.
The reader is first told that 1 in 4 absentee students are enrolled in 14 districts, with rates of absenteeism ranging from 11.6 to 28.1%. These districts are named.
Then the reader is told that 12 other districts have 30% absentee rates.
This can certainly lead to confusion. Why? Because the lede is buried.
If the article is trying to tell us who are the district with the most problem, mentioning the districts with the most students (“1 in 4”) having this issue obscures the problem.
Those who are in the 30% rate are the ones that need to address this more urgently because their funding is less than it should be. (How less depends on how the 30% figure affects their Average Daily Attendance.)
Why is it that the districts with the highest absenteeism are not identified? Why are they being “protected” while LAUSD is put front-and-center when their rate is less than 11 of the other 14?
Yes, there is a problem. However, obfuscating it will only lead to finger pointing and false schadenfreude.
Replies
Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
Hi Manuel. I share your interest in looking at all of the data. The report did not name the 12 districts in California that have 30 percent or higher absenteeism rates, but the EdSource data map will lead you to them. The map is of only unified districts; additional maps will be coming later today so that all districts are accounted for. As you can see on the EdSource map, the districts with the highest … Read More
Hi Manuel. I share your interest in looking at all of the data. The report did not name the 12 districts in California that have 30 percent or higher absenteeism rates, but the EdSource data map will lead you to them. The map is of only unified districts; additional maps will be coming later today so that all districts are accounted for. As you can see on the EdSource map, the districts with the highest rates tend to be smaller, rural districts. Jane
Manuel 8 years ago8 years ago
Jane, thank you for the clarification and, after reading the report, I see what you meant in your article: that bit of information is buried in a graph illustrating which states have districts with 30% or more absenteeism rates (and how many they each have). It did occur to me that perhaps this information is buried in the map you are providing. But then, wouldn't it be easier for your readers to provide a table or … Read More
Jane, thank you for the clarification and, after reading the report, I see what you meant in your article: that bit of information is buried in a graph illustrating which states have districts with 30% or more absenteeism rates (and how many they each have).
It did occur to me that perhaps this information is buried in the map you are providing. But then, wouldn’t it be easier for your readers to provide a table or spreadsheet with the numerical information? It would be so much easier to access. (Plus data-mining the OCR’s csv file is not for the faint of heart.)
Jonathan Raymond 8 years ago8 years ago
Yes this data is troubling but the good news is we have the information to better understand what’s behind these numbers and make solutions a priority. One part of a solution is better engagement with parents, families and communities on the importance of education which is also aligned to local control planning.