More than three years after the district brought students back to school in person, officials in the Fort Worth Independent School District say the number of students missing too many days of school has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Although that return to normal represents a victory, it still means that nearly one in five students in the district are racking up too many absences. District leaders say they’re pushing forward with their efforts to bring more students back to school.
Nationwide, education researchers and school attendance advocates say districts have made progress in bringing down chronic absenteeism rates since schools reopened. But in most places, researchers say those rates are still higher than they were before the pandemic. And new research suggests that the large number of absent students is affecting the way teachers feel about their jobs.
Absenteeism declines in FWISD, but challenges remain
Experts say chronic absenteeism, generally defined as when students miss 10% or more of school days during an academic year, can lead to a host of other challenges. Students who miss too much school are less likely to read on grade level by third grade and more likely to drop out of school before graduating. When students miss too many school days, it can also derail school districts’ strategies for helping them close pandemic learning gaps, since much of the extra support students receive, like tutoring, happens during the school day…