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Chronic absenteeism remains elevated in California, highest in high‑poverty schools, expert warns
Summary
Attendance expert Hedi Chang told the Assembly committee chronic absence doubled during the pandemic and remains concentrated in high‑poverty schools; she urged a cross‑departmental state strategy, better data use, and family‑centered outreach to reduce absence.
Hedi Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, told the Assembly Education Committee chronic absenteeism rose sharply during the pandemic, has declined only slowly, and remains especially high in high‑poverty California schools.
Chang said national chronic absence rose from about 16% pre‑pandemic to nearly 30% during the pandemic and that California saw a larger spike and a slightly faster decline, but still elevated levels. She highlighted a particular concern for children who were in kindergarten during the pandemic cohort:…
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