What “chronic absenteeism” means: Researchers typically define chronic absenteeism as missing at least two days of school each month or 10 percent of all their classes. That amounts to about 18 days over the academic year in the average district. One out of every 10 students in public schools is chronically absent nationwide, according to the advocacy group AttendanceWorks. Schools typically report only average daily attendance, which can mask the fact that many students are missing significant amounts of seat time.
Why it matters: It’s a truism that students can’t learn if they’re not in class. To be sure, some absences are unavoidable, and can speak to larger issues for school communities, including climate and safety. But in addition to students who miss school due to illness or family issues, there’s also a steady stream of students — estimated at 7 million a year — that fall into the “chronic” category...