Positive school climates can curb chronic absenteeism among U.S. students

Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 10% or more of school days—affects close to one in four U.S. students, a figure that has lingered near 23% after peaking at over 28% in 2022-23. Researchers analyzing nearly a decade of the Georgia Student Health Survey, along with parallel studies in New York City and Chicago, found that students' daily experiences of safety, belonging and structured support strongly predict attendance.

Among the eight climate dimensions examined, connectedness produced the largest drop, roughly three percentage points, while safety and clear learning structures also yielded significant gains. These effects persisted across middle and high schools and across racial groups, even when accounting for poverty and housing instability. Yet most school leaders focus on communication or incentives, with only about 15% of reported strategies targeting climate improvement. Simple actions such as auditing suspensions, ensuring each student has a trusted adult contact, and soliciting student input on school improvements could begin to reverse absenteeism spikes, especially among Black and Latino learners.