MS Kids Count Releases Report About School Absenteeism

While education has made many headlines this year with Common Core and early childhood education, Mississippi Kids Count released a report addressing a less talked about issue.

While often, Mississippi tends to fall behind in education, we are among one of only a handful of states addressing an issue often overlooked: students not attending school. Wednesday, Mississippi Kids Count released a report outlining what the chronic absenteeism rate is in the Magnolia State.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the academic school year. In a 180 day calendar, a chronically absent student would miss 18 days per year, which may seem like a lot, but when broken down is only two days per month. Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education, says, “Parents may say, ‘Oh, it’s only one day or it’s only two days,’ and you have a tendency to go it’s not that important. But when you look at it in the aggregate and you compare it to the achievement data we’re looking at with chronic absenteeism, it becomes very important.”

A report released by Mississippi Kids Count reveals 15% of public school students in Mississippi missed an entire month of school last year. Dr. Linda Southward, Director of Mississippi Kids Count, says, “If children are missing instruction time, then they’re not going to be at the grade level reading, for example, that they should be.”

While chronic absenteeism is an issue statewide, one of the school districts with the most chronically absent students is on the Gulf Coast. Moss Point has the second highest chronic absentee rate in the state, with 25.8% of students missing 10% of the school year.

Leaders with Mississippi Kids Count and the Department of Education say having this report will really help in making a plan to encourage students to attend school and move them toward receiving a diploma. Dr. Southward closes, “This is a real opportunity to first identify the children who are chronically absent, and then to be able to really have some specified intervention and resources to help these children.”

The Department of Education says especially with the newly enacted 3rd grade reading gate, if used properly, this report could have a major impact in helping school districts target at risk students.

High school students are more likely to be chronically absent than younger students, and with a graduation rate of only 76%, educators say it’s important to make sure our future workforce is going to school and earning their diplomas to ensure they’re ready to be the next leaders of the Magnolia State.