There has been a substantial increase in absences in Oregon’s schools since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the question is, why? According to the Oregon Department of Education, the statewide regular attendance rate has dropped by 2% within the last year. Only about 61.9% of students in Oregon have regular attendance, with the remaining 38% of students standing chronically absent. Most of these absences are among students in elementary school, some of the most crucial years for a child. Regular attendance in Oregon is defined by students attending at least 90% of the classes they are enrolled in. Regular attendance is deemed very important for the overall success of students. The theory for the cause of this decline is the pandemic.
Many still experience the social and mental side effects that the Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted, especially youth. We are seeing a major impact within schools post-pandemic, as attendance rates have dropped significantly. The chronic absenteeism has resulted in students scoring lower on tests and overall comprehension, creating a bigger divide between students. Absences in the younger grades can have the most impact, causing students to be unable to reach essential benchmarks. Research shows that students that have regular absences in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade specifically are less likely to be able to read at the appropriate grade level by third grade. A research study conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratory Program found that 1 in 6 children who are not reading proficiently by third grade don’t graduate on time. That is four times higher than that of proficient readers. It shows that 23% of below basic readers drop out or fail to finish high school.
High school students are also showing a lack of regular attendance. Andrea Mattey, a teacher at Rex Putnam says, “In looking at attendance and grades, I see a direct correlation between attendance and academic performance.” She says that before the pandemic, tardiness and absenteeism wasn’t something she had to think about very often. When asked why she thinks the reason for this fluctuation is, she stated, “We tried hard to convince parents and students that they could complete their schoolwork from a distance during the pandemic. When we eventually came back to school, part of that mentality seemed to have stuck with students. I have some students who rarely come to class, but complete all their work on Google Classroom.” Some may be wondering, if they’re getting their work done, what’s the problem? Mattey says only completing assignments online causes students to miss valuable direct instruction, peer interaction, as well as individual support.
The million dollar question is, how do we fix this? There isn’t one specific answer. Stay tuned for a follow up story focusing on student input and what factors they think will increase attendance.