Factors Influencing Chronic Absenteeism in Early Grades: A Mixed Methods Approach Examining Effective Intervention Strategies

Students who do not attend school at high rates can be negatively impacted by their absenteeism, no matter the reasons for the absences. Chronically absent students, or those who miss more than ten percent of the school year, are more likely not to read on grade level by third grade or graduate on time later in their careers. Poor attendance for many students can start as early as kindergarten, but the earliest grades are minimally researched. Many root causes exist for why a student does not show up each day, which can be organized by factors related to environment, family, and school. This explanatory, sequential mixed-methods study conducts a logistic regression to identify which student variables in grades K-2 in Indiana have the strongest predictive values related to chronic absenteeism. Based on those results, schools were identified that performed positively regarding chronic absenteeism. When controlling for the respective variables, school leaders with positive attendance rates were interviewed to determine which high-quality interventions were working in their schools to mitigate chronic absenteeism. The interventions used by the school leaders in this research are not groundbreaking. They are varied, consistent, and thorough. A combination of methods must often be used to make an impact, and a vital first step is to make sure that the school leader is driving the work.