Attendance data collected by the Connecticut State Department of Education has shown an increase in student attendance between the current year and the prior, although the number of students in class are still below pre-pandemic rates.
The overall attendance rate compared to the prior year increased by 0.7%, and the percentage of students who were chronically absent decreased by 1.4%.
The department is attempting to return students to the classroom through a campaign titled “School is Better with You” that works to inform caregivers and students about the dangers of chronic absenteeism. Research has shown that chronic absenteeism decreases grades, lowers standardized test scores and can be a precursor to dropping out of high school.
The campaign was launched last November, and the state attributed the improving attendance numbers to the initiative.
“We are pleased to see that all of the hard work supporting students and families to reduce chronic absence is beginning to have a positive impact on student attendance,” State Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said during the campaign’s launch.
Students experiencing homelessness had the highest rate of absenteeism out of any group at 14.7%. On the other end, students without additional needs had the lowest rate, at 4.9%.
