Interventions and Treatment
Rejecting Chronic Absenteeism as the New Normal in Student Attendance
July 11, 2025 | NWI
The number of students missing more than 10% of the school year skyrocketed in the COVID years from 15% in 2019 to 28% in 2022. Five years after the pandemic, attendance still hasn’t returned to normal, with 23% of K-12 students chronically absent. This article argues that America must reject the new normal of lower student attendance rates and act now to get attendance back on track, and presents some strategies.