Using Chronic Absence Data to Improve Conditions for Learning, by Hedy N. Chang, David Osher, Mara Schanfield, Jane Sundius and Lauren Bauer, September 2019.

This report describes how chronic absence and conditions for learning are interconnected issues that can have an impact on a child's educational success. The report identifies specific conditions for learning that can improve school experiences for students and staff and help reduce absenteeism and improve academic outcomes. 

It includes brief case studies from the state of Georgia and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District that help to illustrate how chronic absence and conditions for learning can be addressed through comprehensive, data informed actions. A five-point school action framework outlines how chronic absence data can be used to diagnose and address factors in a school and community that affect attendance and conditions for learning.

A new interactive map produced by The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution accompanies the report. The interactive map shows rates of chronic absence along with community factors and proxies for conditions for learning — including the frequency of exclusionary disciplinary incidents and the most recently available student achievement information — across the country. Find the map on The Hamilton Project's website.