Adrian got off to a rocky start in fourth grade last year, missing school frequently, setting him down a path that, research suggests, would lead to academic struggles — and, in the long term, a less successful career and possibly worse health.
But Loma Vista Elementary and the South Whittier School District were tracking Adrian’s attendance and moved in quickly to provide positive attention and family help, an approach overwhelmingly favored by most experts.
Students across the nation have been missing a lot of school. In California the percentage of students chronically absent was on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic — and then it soared, from 12.1% in 2018-19 to 30% in 2021-22. A student is considered chronically absent for missing 10% or more of a school year.
The numbers were worse in school districts where more students already were struggling and where COVID hit hardest in terms of economic impact, illness and death.
In Los Angeles Unified, which serves mostly low-income families, the chronic absenteeism rate spiked to 46% in 2021-22.
L.A. school Supt. Alberto Carvalho, upon his arrival in February 2022, notably reversed cautionary messaging that had been advising parents to keep sick children home to avoid spreading COVID. Mild, cold-like symptoms should not keep kids off campus, he said, while also ramping up outreach promoting good attendance.
The chronic absenteeism rate for L.A. Unified last year was well below the pandemic peak, about 29%. That’s still far above what it was less than 10 years ago, when it was under 13%.
How one school district took action
In South Whittier, Adrian’s school was having a difficult time connecting with his single father, who was juggling work and parenting. But the school’s attendance team got to work. Such teams typically include the principal, school secretary, community liaison, a child welfare and attendance clerk, and a social worker.
Adrian did not go unseen because his school analyzes data, sets goals and intervenes early with incentives and supports.
“The team built trust and listened to the father’s needs,” said South Whittier Supt. Gary Gonzales.
Adrian’s father, because of his work schedule, had trouble getting his son to school. The solution was to help Adrian’s father arrange for other family members and also other families with children at the same school to give Adrian a ride as needed.
Meanwhile, the school involved Adrian in a school-wide attendance challenge, which allowed him to connect with adults.
“He knew he was valued and seen every day he was on campus,” Gonzales said.
More empathy pays off
The attendance crisis at L.A. Unified and South Whittier has been mirrored in many places. And many school systems have responded aggressively in concert with state and county officials.
“People got used to staying out of school,” said Pomona Unified Supt. Darren Knowles.
The county education office, working with the county health department, has released a new toolkit to help schools plan campaigns to improve attendance. The state also has released new guidance.
“Improving attendance is everyone’s responsibility,” the toolkit asserts. “A whole-child, all-hands-on-deck approach isn’t optional, it’s essential for creating lasting change.”
“Every day that a student misses school, they miss out on the opportunity not only to learn, but to connect, to receive care,” said Debra Duardo, superintendent of the L.A. County Office of Education, which provides services for the county’s 80 school districts. “Students miss meals. They miss mental health support that is provided at schools — and those trusted adults that they get to engage with.”
County health Director Barbara Ferrer called attendance “a critical public health issue.”
“Decades of research confirmed that education is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health,” Ferrer said.
The messaging and strategies have changed dramatically since educators and policymakers began focusing intensively on attendance in the mid-1970s. For decades, there was a frequent emphasis on punishment. Students faced grade penalties for missed days or assignments. Older students faced fines or a suspended driver’s license for truancy. Parents were fined and even prosecuted for not getting children to school.
The current prevailing view is that those methods may have had short-term effects — but were long-term failures.
“Every absence has a story, and sometimes it’s a student who misses the bus because mom is working two jobs,” said Maggie Cunin, a child welfare and attendance specialist for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
State officials this month recognized her school system, just east of Sacramento, for reducing chronic absenteeism from 23.5% to 14.5%.
“Sometimes it’s a family that’s struggling to find stable housing, or a student stepping in to care for siblings,” Cunin said. “These aren’t statistics; they are lives. And when we really stop and listen, what we hear isn’t a lack of caring. … Families want their students in school, and it’s our responsibility to walk alongside them and help remove the barriers.”
