Bringing the kids back: New strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism in school

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 10% of school days within one academic year, has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic; recent data shows that absenteeism levels remain 75% above the pre-pandemic baseline. Schools and families have used a diverse array of incentives and punishments to bring students back but have ultimately struggled, harming kids’ opportunities for learning, skill building, and development.

New approaches are urgently needed, including addressing absenteeism as a symptom of broader student disengagement. A new report by the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings and the education nonprofit Transcend—”The Disengagement Gap: Why Disengagement Isn’t What Parents Expect“—suggests that disengagement can be hard to see, as only 41% of third through 12th graders say they love school, but 71% of parents believe that their students do. 

On Thursday, January 9, CUE and the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings will co-host a discussion on student absenteeism, moderated by journalist Jenny Anderson. CUE Director Rebecca Winthrop will discuss the report’s surprising findings on student engagement.

Viewers can submit questions via email to [email protected] or via X/Twitter @BrookingsGlobal using #DisengagementGap.

The event will be followed by a reception. Copies of the report and related book “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better” will be available.