During a recent government meeting, discussions centered on the alarming rise of chronic absenteeism among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) district. Colin, a representative from TPS, highlighted that chronic absenteeism has more than quadrupled for AAPI students since 2018, with current rates reaching approximately 40%. This increase is particularly concerning in the context of post-pandemic educational challenges.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days, which translates to missing more than 16 days in a typical school year. The data presented indicated that while absenteeism rates have risen across all demographic groups, AAPI students have experienced a significant spike, with Pacific Islander students facing the highest rates at around 70%.

The meeting also addressed the distribution of chronic absenteeism across different schools and grades. Notably, the highest levels of absenteeism were observed at the secondary level, but second graders also showed unexpectedly high rates. The data revealed that a significant portion of chronically absent AAPI students are multilingual learners, with many speaking languages such as Marshallese and Pashto at home.

In response to these challenges, TPS is implementing the \"Attend to Win\" initiative, a comprehensive effort aimed at improving attendance through partnerships with community organizations and the hiring of attendance recovery coordinators. The initiative seeks to identify barriers to attendance, such as transportation issues and safety concerns, and aims to engage families more effectively.

The meeting concluded with a call for collaboration from community members and organizations, particularly religious groups, to help address the issue of absenteeism. The TPS representatives emphasized the importance of understanding the root causes of absenteeism and the need for a community-wide effort to ensure that students attend school regularly.