Deep Dives: How To Get Kids Back In School

Last Night At School Committee

Chronic absenteeism rates in every state are skyrocketing – continuing a trend that started before the pandemic and leading the White House to double down on efforts to get kids back in school. In Massachusetts alone, 23% of all students were chronically absent last year – meaning they missed more than 10% of school days – with rates among high schoolers as high as 30%. There are many factors that have led to this increase, from disengagement with content, to new responsibilities at home, to a pandemic-era shift in perceptions of in-person education. Because school attendance is a key predictor of student performance, this rise in chronic absenteeism has led to a decline in test scores nationwide, bringing increased urgency to the issue.

Today, in the second episode of “Deep Dives,” Jill and Ross dive into this topic with two leaders at the forefront of understanding and addressing it: Tim Daly and Alison Hramiec. Tim Daly is the CEO of EdNavigator, a national organization that empowers families to access high-quality education. Tim recently authored a brilliant three-part series on what’s behind the rise in absenteeism and how to address it. Alison Hramiec is the Head of School at the Boston Day and Evening Academy, which supports chronically absent students across Boston and helps them re-engage through competency-based learning, mentorship, and support. We discuss the driving forces behind rising absenteeism, the trends in Boston and around the country, and how school leaders and policymakers can help get kids back in school.

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