Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Attendance Data topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State data: chronic absenteeism rose sharply after pandemic and remains above pre‑COVID levels
Summary
The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement presented state and regional data showing chronic absenteeism surged after COVID‑19, with persistent disparities by race, economic status and disability. Presenters showed partial recovery but warned rates remain higher than pre‑pandemic baselines.
The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement presented statewide and regional data showing chronic absenteeism surged after the COVID‑19 pandemic and has only partially declined since 2022.
Dr. MJ Kim, director of Policy Research and Evaluation at GOSA, told the committee that Georgia’s chronic absenteeism rate rose from about 13.1 percent pre‑pandemic (2018–19) to about 24.4 percent in 2022, then declined to 25.4 percent in 2023 and 23.5 percent in 2024 in GOSA’s dataset (presenter supplied years and figures in testimony). Dr. Kim cautioned that 2020–21 attendance data are unreliable because of pandemic reporting interruptions, so her team used 2018–19 as a baseline and 2022 onward as post‑pandemic comparisons.
Dr. Kim also highlighted disparities: Black and Hispanic students have higher chronic absenteeism rates than white or Asian peers, and economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities saw larger absolute burdens. She noted that while some groups with low baselines (for example, Asian students) showed steep proportional increases, the highest absolute absenteeism rates remain among Black and Hispanic students.
On outcomes, GOSA analysis presented a strong negative correlation between school‑level chronic absenteeism and proficiency in English language arts and math for 2023–24: as schools’ chronic absenteeism rates increase, ELA and math proficiency rates fall. Dr. Kim summarized: "Simply put, students can't learn if they are not in school."
Why it matters: Committee members said the data reinforce the need for targeted local responses and state support for interventions that reduce barriers to attendance, and they asked GOSA to share county‑level heat maps and school‑level dashboards for committee use.
Ending Committee members asked for follow‑up data and an accessible heat map; Dr. Kim agreed to share materials and said GOSA is working with university partners on grant‑funded studies of absenteeism and student outcomes.
