Posted on November 20, 2017
8,000 Fewer NJ Students Missing Too Much School, but More Work Needed
Assembly Bill Aims to Help Struggling Schools Address Chronic Absenteeism
Roughly 8,000 fewer New Jersey students were chronically absent between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, according to a new report released by Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). The number of K-12 students identified as missing too much school fell from 136,000 to 129,000 children in total, nudging the statewide chronic absenteeism rate from 10.3 to 9.7 percent.
In its third annual report, Showing Up Matters: The State of Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey, ACNJ also saw a decrease in the number of high-absentee school districts (districts with 10 percent or more of their students chronically absent) from 216 to 192 school districts. “Chronically absent” is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, or about 18 days of instruction, including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. Read More
Find school districts with high absenteeism rates.
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Read news coverage
About 130,000 kids are chronically absent from NJ schools, NJ 101.5
Daily Number -8,000, NJ Spotlight
Report finds fewer NJ students are chronically absent, NJTV
More South Jersey students chronically absent, new report shows, Press of Atlantic City
Report: 12 county districts have over 10 percent chronic absenteeism, Burlington County Times
