UCLA

Chronic absenteeism is a growing problem. Students most at-risk for chronic absenteeism are those who display low school engagement, possess a low GPA, perceive a negative school climate, have low parental support or monitoring, and are African American (Bean et al., 2006; Benner & Wang, 2014; Finn, 1989; Skedgell & Kearney, 2018). In fact, African American high school students demonstrate some of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in the United States, California, and a large urban school district referred to as The District (Chang et al., 2018; ERS Report to [The District] Advisory Task Force: Attendance Analysis, 2017). These findings have stimulated the development of national, state, and local interventions aimed at improving absenteeism. However, many of these interventions have been unsuccessful because we do not understand African American students’ reasons for absenteeism, let alone the differences in outcome for students who attend school but miss their classes (i.e., are partially absent). These data are essential for developing successful interventions.

The current study filled this gap by conducting statistical analyses of attendance, academic and survey data to identify areas that should be researched further. The goal of the study was to gain insight into a subgroup of African American high school students who were partially absent from school. A quantitative approach was used to describe the distinguishing characteristics of African American high school students who were severely partially absent by comparing them to African American high school students who were chronically absent . Pre-existing data from The District’s School Experience Survey (items related to school belonging), attendance records, and grade reports were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (i.e., chi-square test of independence and multiple linear regression) to better describe and distinguish these students.

The results of chi-square analyses indicated that more students within the sample were severely partially absent than chronically absent, and that grade level and school location had a significant association with both attendance patterns. The results of multiple linear regressions showed that when controlling for the effects of full absences and covariates (e.g., gender and grade level), the effects of partial absences on achievement and sense of belonging are the strongest. Additionally, when controlling for the effects of partial absences and covariates (e.g., gender and grade level), the effects of full absences on sense of belonging are not significant. In other words, the effects of severe partial absences on African American high school students’ academic achievement and sense of belonging are stronger and more significant than chronic absences. In fact, chronic absences have no significant impact on these students’ sense of belonging. In practical terms, African American high school students who attend school but miss their classes may be more at-risk for failing and feeling disconnected from their schools than those who are missing school altogether.

While findings from this study relate to The District, their significance extends to any large urban school district because the observed phenomena of chronic absences and severe partial absences are a national problem. As such, the results of this study call attention to the need for a critical shift in the evaluation of students who are most in need of academic support and interventions. Specifically, these data may help education leaders and policymakers better understand the differences in demographic characteristics, academic achievement and belonging between chronically absent and partially absent African American high school students. More importantly, the data collected within this study may further help education leaders and policymakers to develop effective interventions that will increase African American students’ attendance and academic outcomes.