STUDENT ABSENTEEISM ON THE RISE: 12.4% Of Students Have Missed At Least 10% Of School This Year, Superintendent Takes Action

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Public Schools is experiencing concerning increases in chronic student absences according to Superintendent Dr. Glenn Brand.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) defines Chronically Absent as “missing at least 10% of days enrolled (e.g., 18 days absent if enrolled for 180) regardless of whether the absences are considered excused, unexcused and/or for disciplinary reasons.”

Wilmington’s chronic absent rate is 12.4% — 12.4% of students have been absent for at least 10% of the school year.

“Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed not just in school but
following graduation,” Superintendent Brand told the School Committee during a recent presentation on the subject. 

The DESE notes that being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student’s ability to read at grade level, perform academically, and graduate on time.

Brand announced three actions to improve the district’s chronic absent rate.

First, he is creating a district-wide student attendance team, including school leaders, counselors and family engagement specialists, to (a) review the district’s current school handbook procedures, (b) develop a system for monitoring data at both the school and district level; and (c) create a set of internal procedures that  can be consistently applied in all schools in a similar fashion to respond to elevated levels of student absences.

Second, he is reviewing current student and family handbook language regarding student attendance policies and practices, with an intention to propose changes for the Fall of 2023.

Finally, the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee will review the district’s currently policy on student absences and excuses (Policy JH), which hasn’t been updated since 2014.

Brand had already arranged for 10 school leaders to attend a workshop on improving student attendance in March, hosted by the SEEM Collaborative. Attendees included Shelia Burke, Diana Carriero, Erin Dunham, Jeanette Quirk, Becky Brown, Ryan Gendron, Mollie Dickerson, Kate Bissell, Kelly Laroche, and Kevin Welch.

The leaders came away from the workshop with a better understanding of (1) the causes of chronic absenteeism, (2) how to develop a systematic procedure for identifying and monitoring chronic absenteeism, and (3) how to create systematic strategies to support students at risk of poor school attendance.

“All of them came back with a level of commitment recognizing we need to do something about this,” Brand told the Committee.

Following the workshop, the district created a data dashboard that it now uses to track and monitor student attendance.

School Committee member Stephen Turner stressed the importance of understanding the sources of absenteeism.

“Is it home and economic instability, is it physical illness, is it mental health illness?,” he asked.

Assistant Superintendent Christine Elliott believes the new dashboard will help spot trends and answer Turner’s questions.

“If we’re going to take measures to improve absenteeism, we need to understand why it’s happening in the first place,” agreed School Committee Chair David Ragsdale. “When we do collect that information, it’s very important is to do so in a non-judgmental and non-punitive way.”

Brand noted that increased chronic absenteeism rates is a state-wide issue and not unique to Wilmington.