By DR. LIZ SLIGER
Guest Columnist
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) considers a student chronically absent if they miss 10 percent or more of school days in an academic year. That equates to 18 days, or roughly two days per month, which may not sound like much. However, research shows that once a student becomes chronically absent, they have a much greater chance of falling behind academically, or even dropping out of school altogether:
- Poor attendance among younger students influences whether they will be able to read proficiently by third grade.
- Chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that students will drop out of high school by as early as sixth grade.
- Conversely, students who improve their attendance rates also improve their academic prospects and chances for graduation.
Chronic absenteeism has been a significant issue for schools since the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, chronic absenteeism rates hovered in the 8 to 11 percent range – still high, but far from the peak in 2022 when one in five students was considered chronically absent. Rates have come down from that historic high, but 17.8 percent of Indiana students were still considered chronically absent last year.
To improve absenteeism rates, the IDOE is considering stricter school attendance rules as part of a new statewide accountability model. Under this proposal, schools must maintain a 94 percent attendance rate or risk facing penalties from the state. While it’s rooted in the right place, the policy fails to account for the unique barriers students face that can make in-person school attendance a challenge. Schools and families must work together to find the path that best fits students’ needs while meeting the state’s attendance goals.
An important note: Chronic absenteeism includes both excused and unexcused absences, meaning it’s not just for students who are skipping classes without their families’ knowledge. Chronic illness, poor transportation, housing and food insecurity, lack of access to the internet and technology, trauma, and violence in the community impact families as a whole and make it much more challenging for students to attend school.
Parents and students can’t simply overcome these barriers alone. They require a support network that may be difficult to find. Fortunately, for parents who don’t know where to look for help, they can reach out to their child’s school district. For example, at K-12-powered schools, we can provide hotspots and laptops to students who don’t have access to the internet or modern technology at home. We actively work with families to help remove barriers to their students’ education. Other examples of school district support include working with families to establish or improve bussing routes, visit food pantries or shelters, and partnering with the community to identify challenges that make it difficult for children to attend school.
Of course, the above barriers are far from the only reasons why students may be chronically absent from school. Aversion to school attendance can spring from struggling academically or behaviorally, social and peer challenges such as bullying, anxiety, or having an undiagnosed disability that needs more accommodation. For others, it may not be an aversion to school at all, but a matter of priority. Student athletes competing at elite levels, families who travel often or are in the military, students who work to support their families, or students who are chronically ill and have to attend medical appointments can all impact their ability to attend school in-person five days per week.
Fortunately, attending a brick-and-mortar school is not the only option. Online education works well for many students too, not simply because it’s online, but because it supports multiple learning models and allows more individualized learning pathways. Online education can travel with an athlete as they compete around the globe, wait for a student to feel well after a medical procedure, start early for a student who has to go to work, or simply be paced at a rate that’s more comfortable for a student who may be struggling.
On the surface, Indiana’s proposed attendance rules are a good step toward improving chronic absenteeism among Hoosiers. However, it doesn’t consider the many real barriers students face in their education journey. Our education leaders must better accommodate family dynamics, the economic climate, and lived environments in its attendance policy, or it risks punishing schools for absenteeism rather than working together to solve the problem.
Hoosier families have a choice when it comes to their students’ education. During National School Choice Week (Jan. 25 to 31), evaluate the barriers impacting your student’s ability to learn and what they – and you – need to find success. Reach out to the school district and see what support they can provide. If they can’t help in the ways you need, it may be time to consider other options to create the best learning environment for your student.
Dr. Liz Sliger, M. Ed., has more than 13 years of experience in teaching and education leadership, with an additional 15 years in publishing. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Indiana Digital Learning School and Indiana Digital Alternative School, tuition-free, full-time online public schools serving grades K-12 and 9-12, respectively. INDLS and INDAS offer a range of academic and school support services tailored to meet the unique needs of each student.