Chronic absenteeism in schools doubles since before pandemic, dragging down test scores
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on October 28, 2023
Chronic absenteeism among U.S. students has nearly doubled since before the pandemic, and experts fear plummeting test scores and soaring learning loss will be impossible to correct without fixing it.
New data released on the Return 2 Learn Tracker from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows chronic absenteeism, defined as students missing more than 10 percent of the school year, went from 15 percent in 2018 to 29 percent in 2022.
The problem is particularly prominent in districts that already have a history of trouble with student . . .
