Chronic absenteeism

What It Means

Chronic absenteeism means a student misses so many school days that learning suffers. The U.S. Department of Education defines it as missing at least 1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more percent of school days, about 18 days in a typical year, for any reason, so excused absencesExcused absenceA school absence your school accepts as allowed under state law and district policy, such as illness or a medical appointment, usually after a parent explains it. See more and sick daysSick leaveTime off work an employer allows when you're ill, injured or caring for your health, paid or unpaid depending on the employer's policy and state or local law. See more count as well as unexcused ones. Federal data have used two definitions: the Civil Rights Data Collection counted students absent 15 or more days, while the state-reported EDFacts data the Department now publishes use the 10 percent measure. States can set their own definitions for their own systems.

How Parents Say It

• "The school sent a letter saying she's close to chronically absent."
• "But every one of those days was excused."
• "He's missed eight days already and it's only January."

The Breakdown

Worked example. By mid-year, after 90 school days, a child has missed 8 days for colds, appointments and a family tripFamily vacationA trip taken together by a parent or parents and their children, usually planned around school breaks, the children's ages and a shared budget. See more.

What the result means. At 8.9%, the child is under the Department's 10 percent line but close to it, and two or three more absences in the second half would cross it. Every reason counts toward the total, so a stretch of illness can tip a child over even when each day was excused.

The two federal counts

What moves the number. Illness, appointments during school hours, family trips and transportation problems all add days. Booking routine appointments after school can keep a few off the total.

Good to Know

Your state may use its own definition for its accountability system; an Education Commission of the States review in 2017 found states defining chronic absenteeism in different ways. Check your state education department or your school's attendance policy for the rule that applies to you. Under ESSA, ED's report card guidance requires state and local report cards to include chronic absenteeism data, so you can look up your school's rate. If your child is missing school because of health, anxiety or trouble getting there, tell the school early and ask what support it can offer.

Related Terms and Categories

• Excused absence

  A school absence your school accepts as allowed under state law and district policy, such as illness or a medical appointment, usually after a parent explains it.

• Report card

  (1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish.

• School zone

  A marked stretch of road near a school where drivers must watch for children and obey the posted school zone speed limit, often at set times of day.

• After-school routine

  The same set of steps a child follows between getting home from school and dinner, usually a snack, active play, some downtime and homework.

• Kids morning routine

  The same short list of steps a child follows each school or child care morning, such as dressing, breakfast, brushing teeth and grabbing a backpack.

• Parent portal

  A school's secure website or app where parents sign in to see their child's grades, assignments, attendance and messages from the school.

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