Introduction
The costs of chronic absenteeism are gaining national attention. Data suggest that 1 in 10 kindergarteners and first-graders are chronically absent every year, missing at least 10% of their school time (AttendanceWorks!). Rates of absenteeism begin to increase each year in middle school and continue to increase in high school as teenagers have more autonomy to skip school.
While no national studies offer an overview of high school chronic absenteeism, large urban districts such as Boston, Baltimore, and New York City report high school absenteeism rates of 35%, 42%, and 35%, respectively.
