Department reports high chronic absenteeism in Alaska schools; officials outline local strategies and next steps

The Department of Education and Early Development updated the House Education Committee April 11 on student attendance and chronic absenteeism, saying the problem is widespread and varies by community. Commissioner Dina Bishop told members the department and districts must use data and community-specific strategies to reduce chronic absence.

Why it matters: Chronic absenteeism (missing more than 10 percent of the school year) is tied to weaker reading outcomes and lower long-term achievement; the department said reversing the trend will require both statewide messaging and localized interventions.

Key findings and data cited

- Prevalence: The department reported 45 percent of students were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year. More recent data presented for 2023-24 showed a modest improvement to 43.4 percent.

- Grade levels and patterns: National comparative slides cited higher chronic absenteeism in early grades (kindergarten through about grade 2) and in middle grades in other datasets; district-level patterns varied. The department said the early-grades problem may reflect pandemic-era shifts in family health and attendance expectations.

- Drivers cited by districts: Department staff recounted local feedback that causes include family work schedules, transportation and bus-stop access, seasonal subsistence and employment patterns in some communities, and logistical barriers to testing and services for correspondence/homeschool students.

Department response and district practices

- Localized planning: The department proposed integrating attendance-focused goals into existing district improvement plans rather than adding separate paperwork. Officials recommended a short, single-sheet planning tool that districts could reuse across federal and state improvement requirements.

- Evidence-based approaches: Commissioner Bishop and staff described multi-tiered systems of support (universal messaging and schoolwide strategies at the base, targeted family engagement and individualized supports at higher tiers). Presentations included school examples: monthly data tracking, family-facing materials (refrigerator attendance trackers), and student incentives (wristbands and local celebrations) used by districts with lower chronic absenteeism.

- Assessment and accountability for correspondence students: The department said testing participation among some correspondence programs has been low; staff are working with vendors to expand proctored remote assessment options and to create incentives for participation (for example, reading-incentive grants and technical support for proctoring).

Lawmakers' concerns and suggestions

Committee members asked whether targeted interventions such as universal school meals in specific grades or seasons might improve attendance; department staff recommended analyzing Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools and other local programs to determine impacts. Members also stressed cultural and subsistence differences across Alaskan communities and cautioned against one-size-fits-all approaches.

Next steps and requests

The department said it will expand web resources on attendance, provide district trend data on residential and correspondence enrollment, and work with districts and associations (AASB and superintendents) to pilot scalable tools and messaging. Committee members thanked staff for the presentation and scheduled additional testimony on related budget items and BRGR work the following week.

Ending note: Department officials characterized the work as both a data exercise and a public-messaging challenge: "Attendance matters; when students are in school they learn," the presentation emphasized, and department staff said they will continue to build supports and tools for local districts.