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How to Lower Chronic Absenteeism Rates in Kindergarten Through Fifth-Grade Students
Award Winner
Recipient of the 12th Annual Graduate Student Symposium Scholarship Award, Oral Presentations, Elm Room - Second Place (2019)
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Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Keywords
School attendance;
Abstract
Chronic absenteeism is typically defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year (Chang & Romero, 2008). These absences are typically due to three main factors: family responsibilities, the school environment, and being unaware of education’s value (Sahin, Arseven, & Kihc, 2016; Sugrue, Zuel, & LaLiberte, 2016; Van Eck, Johnson, Bettencourt, & Linstrom Johnson, 2017). Many studies have been conducted on reducing chronic absenteeism rates in elementary schools (Cook, Dodge, Gifford, & Schulting, 2017; Nauer, 2016; Rappaport, Daskalaskis, & Andrel, 2011). While interventions varied among studies, each intervention can be categorized into one or both of the following categories: strategies within the school or strategies within the community and the child’s home. The purpose of this study is to identify the different factors that may be affecting chronic absenteeism rates in elementary students, as well as programs and strategies that have been implemented to reduce and prevent chronic absenteeism. Ultimately, the goal of this paper is to identify how schools may work to lower the chronic absenteeism rate of elementary (i.e., kindergarten through fifth-grade) students. After analyzing the data, it is evident that there are a number of strategies that schools can implement in an effort to reduce chronic absenteeism. However, the most effective strategies are those that look at the child’s life holistically and change school policies in order to accurately reflect chronic absenteeism rates.
Start Date
3-4-2019 1:00 PM
End Date
3-4-2019 4:00 PM
Year of Award
2019 Award
Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Downs
Department
Department of Social Work
Copyright
©2019 Morgan Eggert
File Format
application/pdf
Embargo Date
4-17-2019
How to Lower Chronic Absenteeism Rates in Kindergarten Through Fifth-Grade Students
Chronic absenteeism is typically defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year (Chang & Romero, 2008). These absences are typically due to three main factors: family responsibilities, the school environment, and being unaware of education’s value (Sahin, Arseven, & Kihc, 2016; Sugrue, Zuel, & LaLiberte, 2016; Van Eck, Johnson, Bettencourt, & Linstrom Johnson, 2017). Many studies have been conducted on reducing chronic absenteeism rates in elementary schools (Cook, Dodge, Gifford, & Schulting, 2017; Nauer, 2016; Rappaport, Daskalaskis, & Andrel, 2011). While interventions varied among studies, each intervention can be categorized into one or both of the following categories: strategies within the school or strategies within the community and the child’s home. The purpose of this study is to identify the different factors that may be affecting chronic absenteeism rates in elementary students, as well as programs and strategies that have been implemented to reduce and prevent chronic absenteeism. Ultimately, the goal of this paper is to identify how schools may work to lower the chronic absenteeism rate of elementary (i.e., kindergarten through fifth-grade) students. After analyzing the data, it is evident that there are a number of strategies that schools can implement in an effort to reduce chronic absenteeism. However, the most effective strategies are those that look at the child’s life holistically and change school policies in order to accurately reflect chronic absenteeism rates.
