State leaders pledge commitment to cut chronic absenteeism

Release date: 10/3/2024

Governor DeWine and Education and Workforce Director announce five-year attendance goal

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin today pledged to cut chronic absence by 50% over five years in Ohio schools. Chronic absenteeism negatively impacts social and academic development. Studies show the connection between regular attendance and critical school measures such as reading proficiently, performing well academically, and graduating from high school.

Chronic absence is defined in Ohio as a student missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason - excused, medically excused, unexcused, and suspensions. Nationwide, 14.7 million students were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year. Data released last month show Ohio's focus on student attendance is making a difference. The 2024 Ohio School Report Cards showed chronic absenteeism declined from 26.8% in the 2022-2023 school year to 25.6% in the 2023-2024 school year.

"This is an issue we take seriously because being in school is critical to achievement, and there's so much at school to benefit a student's well-being," said Governor DeWine. "The commitment we're making to significantly cut chronic absence means more students will be engaged in their learning and positioned to be successful in school and following graduation so they can reach their full potential."

Schools continue to raise awareness on the importance of students staying engaged in their learning, strengthening their connection to the school community, and making sure attendance is a priority for children and families. Beginning the school year on a positive note is important. Research shows that half the students who miss two to four days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.

"Ohio is making progress to reduce chronic absence and improve attendance because of the dedicated work from schools, families, and communities to support students," said Director Dackin. "We have more work ahead and it is important attendance remains a daily priority for everyone in our schools."

There are many tools and resources available to school leaders, educators, and families to strengthen outreach programs. These include recommendations from the Attendance Taskforce and Ohio's Attendance Guide, which emphasizes the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies to improve student attendance.

State and local partnerships are another important piece to this work. The Stay in the Game! Network, managed by Batelle, promotes the importance of strong school attendance through a unique partnership between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Cleveland Browns Foundation, Columbus Crew Foundation, Cincinnati FC, Proving Ground at Harvard University, and more than 140 school districts, a number that continues to grow.

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