Michigan sees statewide improvements in school attendance and absenteeism
These improvements are key to the state education department’s efforts to improve high school graduation rates in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
School attendance and absenteeism rates improved in Michigan public schools in the last academic year, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Education.
In September, the agency announced that the 2023-2024 school year was the second consecutive year in which attendance rates increased and chronic absenteeism rates declined.
The statewide attendance rate for Michigan K-12 students increased from 90.5% in 2022-2023 to 90.8% last year; chronic absenteeism declined from 30.8% to 29.5%.
The attendance rate was 88.8% in 2021-2022, and the chronic absenteeism rate was 38.5%.
The state agency says it defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason, which corresponds to about two school days a month.
The decline in the chronic absenteeism rate between 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 was the largest decrease among the District of Columbia and the 42 states that track absenteeism, the FutureEd think tank at Georgetown University found. The state’s current rate is much higher than its 2018 absenteeism rate of 20%, however.
Digging further into the data, the agency said chronic absenteeism decreased across all grades and across most racial and ethnic groups.
It remains the worst among students who are economically disadvantaged, the state says, at 40.1%. That’s despite a decline of 1.7% in 2023-2024 and a larger decline of 8.6% in 2021-2022.
The agency said improving attendance is a key component of the state’s goal of improving Michigan students’ high school graduation rates.
“We must continue to improve attendance to strongly address Goal 5 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school,” said Delsa Chapman, the deputy superintendent of the Department of Education’s Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support. “Credit for the improvements in attendance goes to our local school districts.”
The state’s goals include improving early childhood literacy opportunities, increasing the number of adults with a college degree or other post-secondary credential, and increasing the numbers of certified teachers in areas that have shortages.
The state Department of Education said local school districts have been working to improve attendance rates following significant declines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their strategies have included calls to parents, conferences with families, mental health interventions, and door-to-door outreach at students’ homes.
“Efforts by Michigan school staff, students, and parents continue to help improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism,” State Superintendent Michael Rice said in the department’s announcement. “Our students need to attend school regularly to maximize their school experiences. Despite our progress, far too many students are chronically absent. We need to work together to redouble our efforts and remove barriers to school attendance.”
