EMPTY SEATS: Chronic Absenteeism in Arizona
Arizona students are missing too much school.
Lost instructional time is linked to decreased academic achievement, lower graduation rates, and increased likelihood of dropping out of school.
The state’s ongoing challenge of chronic absenteeism–defined as missing 10 percent (18 days) or more of a school year–was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic due to factors such as the quarantine, family health, family finances, and changing schools.
Most notably, English-language learner students, Black/African American students, and Hispanic/Latino students in K-8 did not have higher rates of before the pandemic. However, this changed during the pandemic and students in these groups were more strongly impacted than their peers.
Informed by research from Helios Education Foundation KTAR News 92.3 explored this dynamic in the series EMPTY SEATS.
Listen to the four-part series here:
February 1, 2023
February 2, 2023
February 6, 2023
February 7, 2023