More Children Missing From Our Elementary Schools

A few weeks ago we wrote about research from the National Center on Children in Poverty that documented the shockingly high numbers of elementary school students who are chronically absent from school. Now another report adds further evidence that far too many children are missing from our nation’s elementary school classrooms on a regular basis.

The report, from the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs, looks at rates of chronic absenteeism among elementary school students in New York City’s Public Schools. Last year 12 out of 32 districts had rates of chronic absenteeism–defined as students missing 10 or more days a year–over 25 percent. Moreover, nearly 20 percent of New York City elementary students missed a month or more of school last year. Not surprisingly, absenteeism was highest in communities with high rates of poverty, family dysfunction, and referrals to foster care and child protective services. These communities include areas in Harlem, the South Bronx, and Central Brooklyn.

Because policymakers and the public are often unaware of the crisis in elementary absenteeism, documenting the extent of the problem is a critical first step towards addressing it. But this report goes beyond mere diagnosis to offer recommendations for solving the problem:

1. Rates of chronic absenteeism should be one of the measures by which schools are judged in the city’s annual “school progress reports.
2. The Department of Education should assign its attendance teachers (trained educators who replace the old fashioned “truant officer” and investigate cases of chronic absenteeism) to tighter geographical areas.
3. Schools should offer teachers and other staff more extensive training in how to deal with cases of suspected abuse or neglect.
4. The city should continue to pursue tighter coordination of existing services for children and families.
5. Identify 50 to 100 schools with high rates of absenteeism in high-poverty districts, and establish executive-level partnerships with outside organizations to put solutions into action.

These seem like smart ideas. Implementing a broader PK-3 reform agenda–which would improve the quality of early elementary schooling; make schooling more hospitable to families and children from diverse backgrounds; build links between schools and community-based organizations; and improve access to quality early education programs that can engage children and families prior to school entry, reduce the incidence of child maltreatment, and get parents and children used to the routines of school–would also help.