Patterns of Absence and Pupil Achievement

Abstract

Student absences throughout the school year vary in timing and number. Similarly, classrooms vary in the total number of pupil days of absence, in the distribution of absences throughout all school days, and in the degree to which the same students are repeatedly absent. This paper compares these and other aspects of absentee patterns with pupils’ performance on a standardized ninth grade algebra examination. Results indicate that patterns of absence, in addition to the gross quantity of absence, are related to pupils’ performance. Moreover, results indicate that attending students’ test score performance is sensitive to classmates’ absences.