Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Beginning in Pre-K

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A significant body of research has focused on the impact of chronic absenteeism among elementary, middle and high school students. However, little research has focused on the impact of attendance in early childhood education and Pre-K.

Research on early childhood education has been extensive and has demonstrated the importance of high-quality early childhood education on long-term child development and academic achievement. The positive impacts have been found to be more prevalent among those who attend Pre-K and quality early care and education for a longer period of time.

Georgia Pre-K served about 54% of the state’s 4-year-olds during the 2022-23 school year. According to the Georgia’s Pre-K Program Family Handbook, children who miss 10 or more consecutive days are disenrolled from the program. According to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), all Pre-K programs track attendance, late arrivals, and early dismissals to provide regular data for the program and state on absenteeism.

Why Pre-K Attendance Matters

According to an Early Childhood Research Quarterly article titled, “Pre-Kindergarten attendance matters: Early chronic absence patterns and relationships to learning outcomes,” chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days. Absenteeism is a national challenge for schools and Pre-K programs with as much as 25% of Pre-K students chronically absent. A University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School study found that 45% of 3-year-old preschool students and 36% of 4-year-old students were chronically absent during the 2011-12 school year, while only 20% of kindergartners were chronically absent.

Absenteeism is a greater challenge in Pre-K than in elementary or middle school. An Early Childhood Research Quarterly article titled, “Can center-based childcare reduce the odds of early chronic absenteeism?” found that participation in center-based care is linked to lower rates of chronic absenteeism in kindergarten. When students and families begin attending school regularly in early care and learning environments, they are more likely to have better attendance in school in later grades. When students are chronically absent in Pre-K, they are more likely to also have chronic absenteeism patterns in elementary school, according to New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) Strategies for improving attendance in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten: Toolkit for Districts, Schools, and Early Childhood Providers. Chronic absenteeism across the country almost doubled from 2019 to 2022 from 16% to 30%. When students miss two days per month, then they can miss about 10% of the entire school year.

Students who are chronically absent often lack critical school readiness skills, missing academic milestones, and their social emotional development may be lagging. Students who were chronically absent in Pre-K and kindergarten were more likely to be held back in later grades. Absenteeism in Pre-K is related to:

  • a lack of kindergarten readiness skills, with chronically absent Pre-K students having lower kindergarten readiness scores;
  • missing critical academic milestones;
  • higher rates of absenteeism in higher grades;
  • future social emotional and behavioral problems; and
  • grade repetition in later grades.

Improving Prekindergarten Attendance: School-level strategies for messaging, engaging parents, and responding to absences in four DC public schools, an Urban Institute research report, discusses the negative impact of absenteeism on school performance, future attendance in school, truancy, and dropout rates. Early elementary and early education (including Pre-K) had some of the highest absenteeism rates. Attendance in early elementary and Pre-K also helps to establish the child and family relationship with the school system. Students who are chronically absent for several years need more reading intervention by 3rd grade.

Students with the lowest skills often tend to miss the most school while in Pre-K. Go-Learn-Grow: A New Toolkit for Improving Attendance in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten points out that this could be interrelated with students with lower skills being more anxious about attending school and lower attendance rates that impact students’ ability to learn and progress. The Regional Educational Laboratory report emphasizes the importance of understanding why some students experience chronic absenteeism so that interventions can be tailored to help meet their needs.

It is imperative to consider both excused and unexcused absences due to the impact on student performance and overall outcomes.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly’s “Can center-based childcare reduce the odds of early chronic absenteeism?” points out that when families participate in center-based Pre-K programs rather than informal child care settings, attendance rates were higher and absenteeism rates were lower. Possible explanations include that all data was tracked and monitored, families had more of a chance to adapt to time in out of home settings and get into a regular routine of attending school. Center-based programs also most closely mirror elementary school programs and ease the transition from Pre-K/child care to kindergarten and public school.

Providing support to improve attendance in Pre-K and during the early elementary years has the potential to reduce achievement gaps and redirect struggling students toward educational success. It also has the potential to change family perspectives and engagement with the school system at the beginning of the school relationship which can have long term impacts on student achievement. Early care and learning and regular attendance together can have the greatest impact on students who are most at risk for academic struggles. Ongoing and chronic absences can create challenges for students who are trying to develop knowledge and skills and catch up with peers.

Factors that Influence Attendance

Michael Gottfried, in his “Can center-based childcare reduce the odds of early chronic absenteeism” article, found that many of the factors influencing chronic absenteeism in Pre-K and center-based care were the same challenges that impacted attendance in later grades. Factors that can impact attendance include:

  • student-specific factors—fear, trauma, anxiety, illness, chronic health challenges;
  • family-specific factors—work schedules, unstable housing, extending travel, stressful family events, transportation, lack of resources;
  • school-specific factors—family-teacher interactions, relationships with peers, poor school climate; and
  • community-specific factors—unsafe neighborhoods, lack of social and educational supports.

Establishing a welcoming environment that clearly communicates attendance expectations is a key factor influencing overall school attendance rates. The Illinois Early Learning project points out that parental expectations, communication, and health concerns for children and families all contribute to attendance patterns. This is consistent with the areas noted by the NJDOE as being critical factors for absenteeism and attendance. The Urban Institute research report points out that the parental perspective on the value of Pre-K shapes how they approach attendance. When schools and families can share an understanding of the potential impact of the program and the importance of attendance, then student attendance is higher. Often there is a disconnect between parents’ focus—socialization, adjusting to school, forming school habits—and school focus—academics—that impact attendance.

NJDOE also noted that the students who can benefit most from early education often are those most at risk for absenteeism including children in poverty, those with disabilities, English language learners, and children of color. Economically challenged students are more likely to face negative outcomes because they have less access to resources that would help them make up for the lost opportunities in the classroom due to missed days, according to Attendance Works.

Home visits were identified as a significant way to begin to set the tone about the importance of attendance, build excitement, and help build relationships with families. During home visits, families can share barriers or challenges about regular attendance and coordination can help to generate ideas and resources to help families increase regular attendance. The NJDOE also pointed out that connection with families is critical to improving attendance. Communication between families and teachers helps families understand the importance of regular attendance and for the teachers and schools to support families in reducing barriers to attendance.

Health concerns can be a significant source of absenteeism for children throughout school. Attendance Works suggests focusing on supports to help reduce health related absences by collaborating with health providers, focusing on basic hygiene practices, providing key guidance on when to stay home, and proactively addressing chronic illness needs. Health concerns are the most reported reason that children miss pre-school and Pre-K days.

NJDOE also points to the importance of:

  • educating families about the value of attendance throughout a child’s school career, sharing information about student absences and comparison to school rates;
  • offering a variety of transportation options; and
  • coordinating to help reduce illness-based absences.

Attendance Works also points out that welcoming families and working with them are key components to improving overall attendance. Positive interactions with families begin before school starts and early in the school year as the foundation is set.

Programs that establish standardized and consistent attendance policies and practices create shared expectations among families early in the program. When data systems are used to monitor attendance and communicate with teachers and families, then teachers and families can work together to improve attendance.

Implications and Recommendations

Katz and colleagues (2016) point out that to impact attendance

A proactive school-wide effort must focus on relationships and communication.

Positive Action offers recommendations on improving school attendance based on the research:

  • Build enthusiasm and understanding of the importance of attendance.
    • Encourage attendance leading up to the beginning of the school year, build enthusiasm over the summer for school in the fall. Teachers and parents must help build excitement for the start of each new class.
    • Create daily routines and schedules for children to help them get ready for school.
    • Have clear and consistent vision for attendance throughout the program and communicate those with the parents in ways they can understand.
    • Establish early communication during the school year to ensure a firm foundation.
    • Develop award programs for attendance achievement to focus on rewarding families.
  • Create healthy schools and connect resources to support families in maintaining health.
    • Connect health services and supports to help reduce absenteeism.
    • Encourage regular health screenings and immunizations.
    • Ensure communication of health and wellness policies.
  • Create and utilize a data monitoring and tracking system.
    • Use data to identify who needs support, what is needed, and implement and evaluate interventions to support children and families.
    • Develop policies for recording and submitting attendance ensuring all teachers work together with a standardized approach and that data is entered accurately.
    • Use monitoring data and reports, action plans, and follow-up to help support children and families.
  • Create a strong, positive, and inclusive school community that prioritizes family engagement.
    • Conduct home visits with families to create and deepen relationships. This must include training for teachers on best practices, and cultural expectations to ensure the engagements are positive and productive.
    • Build strong relationships with families.
    • Designate a 24-hour call-in line to share absence information and reason.
    • Create an attendance committee that takes responsibility for attendance, integrating into school goals, and ensure consistent routines and procedures.
    • Utilize the preferred mode of communication for parents.
  • Establish regular and consistent communication with parents.
    • Create personalized text messages and emails.
    • Translate materials to support non-English speakers.
    • Create a welcoming environment for parents and students.
    • Involve parents in addressing poor attendance through reminders, check ins, and parent meetings to determine supports they need.
  • Engage with community partners.
    • Support community partners, events, and activities to support families and improve attendance.
    • Provide transportation alternatives, which includes coordinating with partners.


Contact:
Bill Valladares
GaFCP Communications Director
404-739-0043
william@gafcp.org

Reg Griffin
DECAL Communications Director
404-656-0239
reg.griffin@decal.ga.gov


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Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system.

The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of child care, and collaborates with Georgia child care resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.