Chronic absenteeism remains a persistent issue across D.C. public schools–both before and after the pandemic–particularly among high school students. This report uses student data from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) across four years to highlight the patterns and predictors of attendance.
Join the D.C. Policy Center and OSSE for an event uplifting this report on November 19, 2025.
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D.C. has had a stronger recovery from the pandemic in recent years, compared to other states and districts as of school year 2023-24. Using the recent results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational …
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we live, work, and learn, and the public education system is adapting to this rapidly changing technology landscape. Understanding how these tools can …
Good morning Chairman White and members of the Committee. My name is Emilia Calma and I am the Director of the Wilkes Initiative for Housing Policy at the D.C. Policy …
Introduction State governments are central to housing reform. They can do what neither local governments nor the federal government can: preempt exclusionary zoning, align housing with transportation and environmental policy, …
Post-pandemic in school year 2021-22, chronic absenteeism, rose to 48 percent from 29 percent in school year 2018-19. However, D.C. is working hard to mitigate these high numbers and has …
Quick Links Executive summary Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year—has become one of the most persistent post-pandemic challenges for D.C.’s public schools. Chronic absenteeism …
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