What's measured?

@ the student level...

the year-to date number of absences for any reason as a percentage of the total number of school days enrolled.

How does it inform?

• Is there something preventing this child from coming to school that we need to consider at the individual, family, and/or community level?
• How can we engage this student so he/she feels more connected to the school community (e.g., provide a mentor)?

@ the school level...

the year-to date number of students whose rate of absence is 10% or greater as a percentage of the total number of students enrolled anytime during the school year.

• What is the rate of chronic absence for the schools in our district and community?
• Where do we see the highest rates?
• Are the high rates concentrated in particular schools or grade levels within the district and community?
• Are some students more at risk than others?
• What can we change about our school culture to improve student attendance (e.g., policies that undermine parent engagement)?
• Are there barriers in the community that need to be addressed so the community is safer for children walking to school (e.g., street lights on in early winter hours; snow plowed early on streets that are commonly used to get to school)?

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has developed attendance and chronic absence verification reports, available in L2RPT Report Guides. These reports provide school leadership with information about the individual students who are chronically absent and highlight chronic absence rates for schools, classrooms and various student groups (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, ability level, language proficiency, migrant status).

For more detailed information, review:

• A memo to BOCES District Superintendents, Superintendents of Public School Districts, Principals of Public Schools and Charter School Leaders regarding reports and guidelines.
• Additional attendance information (e.g., regulations, laws, etc.) is available at the NYSED website.

• SIRS-360: Daily Attendance/Absence This report is the daily summary of absences reported for each school and useful for verifying the accuracy of data that is reported to the State Education Department.
• SIRS-361: Year to Date Attendance/Absenteeism This report shows the number and percentage of students missing between 0-4%, 5-9% and 10% or more of enrolled school days.