On March 6th, 2024, Chelsea Coffin, Director of the Education Policy Initiative, was quoted in a Fox 5 DC segment:
According to the D.C. Policy Center, 44% of students were considered chronically absent.
“It’s highest for students who are economically disadvantaged and in a similar category to students who are at risk in high school with 59% of students who are economically disadvantaged being chronically absent and also higher for high school students at 60% being chronically absent,” said Chelsea Coffin, the Director of the Education Policy Initiative at the D.C. Policy Center.
The center says absenteeism is the “greatest impediment” to recovery after the pandemic.
Read More: DC Policy Center identifies alarming trends in student attendance
Additional reading: Increasing attendance rates is critical to decrease recovery time for student outcomes