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MCPS links chronic absenteeism to grading changes and plans targeted monitoring
Summary
MCPS staff said chronic absenteeism (defined as 18+ absences) influences assessment quality and described attendance patterns tied to second-half grade drops; the grading revisions aim in part to discourage strategic absenteeism and to encourage more continuous engagement.
MCPS staff told the committee that attendance patterns have a direct effect on the validity of grading outcomes. During the briefing Keisha Logan said chronic absenteeism is defined in MCPS as 18 or more absences in a school year and presented data showing students whose grades dropped sharply often had increased absences in the second half of the semester.
"Attendance directly impacts our ability to assess learning," Logan said, illustrating the link between absenteeism and the prior grading pattern chart that sometimes encouraged students to skip the second half of a marking period. Staff argued the shift to percent-based averaging and clearer reassessment windows should reduce incentives for strategic nonattendance and produce grades that better reflect learning over time.
Councilmembers asked for more granular attendance measures (including partial-day attendance and cumulative isolated absences) and suggested coordinating with county services for students facing housing instability or trauma. MCPS said counselors and cross-functional teams would be involved and committed to monitoring attendance-related impacts alongside grading implementation data.
