The Secret Question to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism
I had a good student. He was diligent, had friends, everything seemed all right, then one day, he stopped coming to school. I was baffled. We connected with his parents after a few days to check in on him. His mother, sounding exasperated, said, “I just don’t get it. He won’t come to school, I don’t know why.”
After a month and a half, he finally came back. Many ignored it. But I couldn’t help but think, what if it could have been avoided?
My student was chronically absent because there was something going on beneath the surface. I was on a mission to figure out what it was.
What is chronic absenteeism?
Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses 10 percent or more of the school year. Unlike occasional absences, chronic absenteeism has serious long-term effects. It impacts grades, lowers engagement, and increases the risk of dropping out altogether.
The challenge for school leaders is that attendance is often a symptom of something deeper. Students rarely stop coming to school for no reason. There is almost always a barrier in the way.
The one question to ask students who are chronically absent
A 10,000-student school district in California had an idea. Let’s ask students why they aren’t coming to school.
They created a checkbox question:
What makes it hard for you to come to school every day?
Options:
- It’s not hard for me to come to school. I enjoy coming to school
- I’m sick or have health problems
- I feel worried, stressed, or sad
- I don’t have a way to get to school, like no car or bus
- I have to help take care of family members at home
- I don’t have the things I need, like food, clothes, or other supplies
- I don’t feel safe on the way to school, like bullying or unsafe neighborhoods
- I don’t feel safe or welcome at school, like bullying or problems with classmates
- I find my classwork hard, and I struggle to keep up
- (Optional) Please share any other reasons that make it hard for you to come to school every day
This question is powerful because it opens the door to authentic student voice. It gives students a chance to name the real barriers standing in the way of their education.
Each of these responses gives district leaders a window into the lived experiences of their students. With this data, schools can target interventions and remove barriers to attendance.
The real reason my student was absent
For my student, the real reason he was absent was not grades, transportation, or health. He was being bullied by one student, and it made him scared to come back. He was too afraid to raise his voice.
That is why chronic absenteeism cannot be solved with attendance policies alone. Schools need to hear directly from students, staff, and families to uncover what is happening beneath the surface.
Reducing chronic absenteeism starts with listening. Sometimes, it only takes one question.
Want to collect real-time data?
