Chronic Absenteeism in Schools: How Are Branford Students Doing?

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

BRANFORD, CT – Students in Branford are attending school at better – but only slightly – than the state average. Branford students were chronically absent 9.4 percent during the last school year.

The worst school district in the state was Hartford, with a 22.4 percent chronic absent rate; the best was Hebron, with a 1.6 percent rate.

Chronic absence is defined as missing 10 percent or greater of the total number of days enrolled during the school year for any reason. (To sign up for Branford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

It includes both excused, unexcused, out-of-school suspensions, and in-school suspensions that last more than one-half of the school day. For example, a student who has been enrolled for the first 30 school days at the beginning of the school year and has been absent three of those days is chronically absent.

Over the last school year, rates of chronic absenteeism in Connecticut schools fell in every student subgroup and in the state overall, continuing a trend that started during the 2012-13 school year. From the 2014-15 school year to the 2015-16 school year, the rate of chronic absence fell from 10.6 percent to 9.6 percent statewide.

“Tackling chronic absenteeism is critical to improving outcomes for all of our students so that they receive an adequate education that prepares them to succeed in life,” Governor Dan Malloy said in a prepared statement. “We need to do everything we can to ensure that all students, regardless of the life circumstances into which they are born or what town or city they live in, receive a quality public education. Because of the recent efforts of teachers, school districts, the state, and families, nearly 10,000 more students are consistently attending class than four years ago. We need to do everything we can to make progress in our efforts to provide students with the best educational opportunities possible.”

To learn more about chronic absenteeism and best practices that are being employed in Connecticut visit Attendance Works.