The Relation between Absenteeism and Student Learning in a Post-Pandemic Context. Learning Renewal Series
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| Title: | The Relation between Absenteeism and Student Learning in a Post-Pandemic Context. Learning Renewal Series |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mariana Barragan Torres, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) |
| Source: | Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, Discovery Partners Institute. 2025. |
| Availability: | Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, State of Illinois for Discovery Partners Institute. 200 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60304. Tel: 217-766-6779; e-mail: IWERC@mx.uillinois.edu; Web site: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 42 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Chicago Community Trust Steans Family Foundation (SFF) Joyce Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Attendance, Academic Achievement, COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Characteristics, Test Score Decline, Scores, Elementary Secondary Education, Grade Level Differences, Low Income Students, Racial Differences, English Learners, Rural Urban Differences, School Districts |
| Geographic Terms: | Illinois |
| Abstract: | This report, the last in a series on post-pandemic Learning Renewal in Illinois, focuses on the issue of increased student absenteeism in the wake of the pandemic. Previous reports in the series examined trends in student achievement outcomes, district use of emergency pandemic relief funds, district practices related to learning renewal, and the relationship between districts' strategies and achievement recovery. Throughout these reports, student absenteeism--and district responses to absenteeism--emerged as key issues. This report thus spotlights the issue of absenteeism, looking at trends in absenteeism, the relationship between absenteeism and student achievement outcomes, and whether that relationship has shifted following the pandemic (a key question for policy). This report provides key findings in three areas. First, IWERC explored the student characteristics that correlated with an increase in absenteeism from pre-to-post pandemic. It was found that Black students saw the largest increase in absenteeism from 2018-2019 to 2022-2023 (SY19 to SY23, respectively), followed by Latino students. There were also important differences by grade. Specifically, students in high school increased their absenteeism by more than 5 days between SY19 and SY23. Similarly, students in urban areas, especially in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), greatly increased the number of days they were absent from school from SY19 to SY23. Eligibility for Free or Reduced Priced Lunch (FRPL) was another factor related to the increase in student absenteeism. Second, IWERC explored the relationship between days of absenteeism and student learning, controlling for student characteristics. There was a negative relationship between absenteeism and student learning. In other words, with each additional day students are absent from school, their test scores decline, especially in Math. Increased absenteeism may thus partially explain continued struggles with test scores in the post-pandemic period. Finally, IWERC identified that the relationship between absenteeism and test scores intensified over time, likely as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the irregularities it caused for all students. Controlling for student characteristics, the relationship between test scores and absenteeism remains as strong as, or stronger than, it was pre-pandemic. These findings point to the critical importance of improving attendance, particularly for student groups that have been historically marginalized in K-12 schooling and experienced the poorest outcomes during the pandemic. Attendance is central to continued, strong learning recovery in Illinois K-12 schools. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679344 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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