CARSON CITY, Nev. – While chronic absenteeism – schools with students missing 10 percent or more of class - in Nevada is at nearly 20 percent, 105 schools in the state lowered their rate by at least 10 percent during the 2017-2018 school year.

“It doesn’t get any more basic than students who are absent do not learn,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction. “That’s why our new federal and state plans include an emphasis on addressing chronic absenteeism. If one in five schools in our state have 10 percent of their students that miss 18 or more days of school per year, that’s something we need to change.”

For 2017-18, the statewide performance for Chronic Absenteeism is 19.49 percent of schools with students missing 10 percent or more of class. Highlights on Chronic Absenteeism for the 2017-18 school year:

• A total of 105 schools across the state lowered their Chronic Absenteeism rates by at least 10 percent over the last year. This is additionally important because this level of improvement will earn the schools additional points toward their overall 2018 school star ratings on the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF):

• Elementary – 41
• Middle – 36
• High School - 28

• Districts showing some of the lowest absenteeism rates in either Elementary, Middle or High School: 

• Lincoln County
• University School
• Eureka County
• Mineral County
• Carson City
• Douglas County
• State Charter School Authority

Attendance is a critical component of educational equity, ensuring all students can access the resources and support needed for educational success. To address this important issue, The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) met with a broad-based stakeholder group to define absenteeism with a focus on uniform tracking and coding of absenteeism across the state. In addition, NDE also consulted with numerous research sources, other state department of education practices, federal guidance, the Council for Chief State School Officers, and the US Department of Education.

The connection between student attendance and learning is clear: a missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. Research shows that consistent attendance supports student learning and is an important factor in student achievement. Absenteeism is related to lower student achievement.

The rate of chronic absenteeism is a school quality measure in the NSPF for elementary, middle, and high schools. This rate measures the percentage of students who are absent for 10 percent or more of their enrolled days at school. Given the strong research-based association between school attendance and academic achievement, students are generally considered absent if they are not physically present at school or at a school sponsored activity.

The number of chronic absenteeism points possible on the NSPF is 10 for elementary and middle schools and five for high schools. Schools with chronic absenteeism rates less than five percent earn the maximum number of points.