Overview
- Chronic absenteeism in Chicago rose by roughly 20 percentage points post-COVID, with CPS data showing about 40% of students were chronically absent last year.
- High schools remain hardest hit, following prior reporting that about a quarter of students missed 35 or more days in one year.
- The study reports that the link between showing up to school and standardized test scores is stronger than before the pandemic, even as overall grades have ticked up.
- Researchers found better attendance at schools where students feel safe and connected and where staff maintain strong relationships with families, with school climate outweighing neighborhood effects.
- CPS said attendance is a priority and cited data monitoring, family outreach, and enrichment programs, while the interim CEO acknowledged the district lacks a unified strategy and is exploring outside funding for one.