Partnering with NASBE on Chronic Absenteeism

March 08, 2019 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign

We are honored to partner with the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) on a policy brief that highlights the health-related causes of chronic absenteeism as well as actions that state boards of education can take to address chronic absenteeism.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to publicly display data on chronic absenteeism on school report cards. In addition, 36 states and the District of Columbia opted to include chronic absenteeism as a measure of school success in their ESSA accountability systems. This is a great opportunity for state boards of education to examine the causes of chronic absenteeism—many of them health related—and support districts and schools as they seek solutions.

A number of states are already providing guidance to districts and schools on research and best practices for addressing chronic absence. For example, California’s State School Attendance Review Board provides a handbook that helps districts and counties establish local school attendance review boards to assist families with attendance issues.

This policy brief is an important step in building awareness in the education sector about the health-related causes of chronic absenteeism and the role state education leaders can play in mitigating them. “State boards of education have a really important role in calling attention to and providing leadership on significant issues facing the education sector,” says Rochelle Davis, President + CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign. “We are excited that NASBE recognized the vital link between student health, attendance and student achievement.”

To find out more about how state education policy can impact the health-related causes of chronic absenteeism, join us for a webinar about this policy brief on March 12. The webinar will feature Megan Blanco of NASBE; Alex Mays of HSC; and Phyllis Jordan of Future Ed at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

We’re looking forward to continuing to work with NASBE and its members to support their work to address chronic absenteeism.