Colorado's Chronic Absenteeism Rate Improves, But Still Concerning

A Closer Look at Colorado's Student Attendance Rates

In a recent report by the Colorado Department of Education, it was found that over 240,000 students in the state experienced chronic absenteeism, meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year. While this number has decreased slightly compared to previous years, with rates down by 3.4% to 27.7%, it is still a concerning issue.

According to the data, student attendance improved by 0.7% to 91.5%. However, despite this gain, more than one in four children in Colorado continues to miss significant amounts of school.

Denver Public Schools, the state's largest school district, has taken notice of these trends and is working to address chronic absenteeism.

The Root Causes of Absenteeism

Assistant Principal Derek Pike at Denver West High School noted that challenges such as transportation issues, food insecurity, and familial responsibilities have only worsened since the pandemic. 'We have to pause and be conscious of working and connecting with our families to identify those barriers instead of just guessing,' he said.

As part of the district's new initiative, they are trying to incentivize students to attend school and address the root causes of absenteeism. This includes supporting families who need it and encouraging community partners to get involved.

A Nationwide Call to Action

Dr. Cori Canty, attendance systems manager at Denver Public Schools, emphasized that addressing chronic absenteeism is now a nationwide call to action. 'We miss our students. We want them here as much as possible,' she said. 'We want the students here. We want to be able to support them socially, emotionally, and academically, and set them up for as much success as possible. We can do a much better job when they're here.'

A District-Wide Effort

Denver Public Schools has teams working together to find solutions to the problem of chronic absenteeism. Some are focusing on gathering data, identifying resources, and building community partnerships, while another group is working directly with schools.

Assistant Principal Pike noted that everyone must work together to address absenteeism: 'We share a lot of the same desire to make sure that kids are at school and with us regardless of the challenges they're facing. We know that education and schools can change outcomes for students.'

A Call to Action

Dr. Canty emphasized that addressing chronic absenteeism will require everyone's effort, including schools, parents, students, and the community.

The district's overall goal is to return to pre-pandemic absence rates and improve attendance. With continued effort and collaboration, perhaps we can see a decrease in the number of chronically absent students in Colorado.