Are chronic absenteeism interventions working?

An analysis from Rand and CRPE estimates 19% — or 9.4 million students — were chronically absent during the 2023-24 school year.

Educators at the school, district, state and federal levels have implemented interventions and emphasized the monitoring of student attendance amid alarming rates of chronic absenteeism reported after school buildings reopened. Chronic absenteeism, generally, is defined as the percentage of students missing at least 10% of the school year, or about 18 days.

The Rand and CRPE analysis found that about 1 in 10 districts had chronic absenteeism levels of 30% or more during the 2023-24 school year. Two in 10 districts reported 20% to 30% chronic absenteeism rates.