As students head back to school across Michigan, too many classrooms will have empty seats and too many young learners will not be present when roll is called.
Chronic absenteeism has dire effects throughout a child’s education and has doubled across the country since 2020. The problem is particularly bad in Michigan. We see this in data showing the state ranked seventh-worst for chronic absenteeism in 2022-23, despite significant improvements last year.
We also hear it in the concerns that West Michigan K12 leaders have shared with TalentFirst and our CEO Council: Educators tell us poor attendance is a big culprit in the state’s ongoing literacy crisis — a crisis evidenced by a new low for statewide third-grade reading, as shown in scores released last week.
“This is not just a school issue; it’s a community concern with real consequences,” said DeWys Metal Solutions CEO Jon DeWys, a former school board member and current co-chair of our K-12 Education Working Group. “Absenteeism affects the future workforce and the soft skills we value and count on. As business leaders, we can help make a difference.”
See a video message from Jon DeWys about the importance of school attendence.
Explore our employer toolkit to promote attendance
The West Michigan business leaders of TalentFirst have a long history of collaborating with K-12 leaders to ensure our region’s children get the education they need to thrive. Over the past year, TalentFirst and the region’s superintendents have been focused on developing collective strategies to improve early literacy.
When K12 leaders identified chronic absenteeism as one of the root causes of poor literacy, the business leaders of TalentFirst agreed to support educators. Our new School Attendance Awareness Toolkit for Employers is designed to help employers use their workplaces to promote the importance of good school attendance.
Drawing on input from K12 and business leaders and resources from research group Attendance Works, the toolkit includes data, the business case, action steps employers can take, downloadable posters and handouts, and strategies to promote new pathways to work and graduation.
EXPLORE THE TOOLKIT
The publicly available toolkit joins other resources we provide employers, such as our Employer Childcare Toolkit, in addition to member-exclusive content. (Learn about the benefits of joining our CEO Council or HR Council.)
The importance of attendance
In 2022-23, Michigan led the nation in reducing chronic absenteeism, which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of the school year, equivalent to 18 days per year or 2-3 days per month. But the state was starting with a lot of room for improvement — the previous year, Michigan ranked fourth-worst, with a 39% chronic absenteeism rate.
- Despite a 7.7 percentage-point reduction in the overall rate, nearly a third of the state’s K12 students were chronically absent in 2022-23. This is unacceptable, for many reasons. According to Attendance Works:
- Half the students who miss two to four days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
- Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. Chronic absence in kindergarten is associated with lower academic performance in first grade.
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade.
- By sixth grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
- Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control.
Showing up to make a difference
In many ways, school attendance can be seen as an indicator of how well a community puts a priority on the success and wellbeing of its children. Schools, leaders, parents, and employers all have a role to play.
The good news: Attendance Works notes that chronic absenteeism can be reduced when these groups work together to monitor data, nurture a culture of engagement, promote regular attendance and routines, and address hurdles that keep children from getting to school every day.
The employers of TalentFirst will continue to partner with educators and families to build on recent momentum reversing the chronic absenteeism crisis. This is a long-term investment in our entire community, affecting not just the workforce but the ability of a generation to learn and thrive in West Michigan.
Just as we need students to be in their seats when roll is called, we all must show up on behalf of all the families and children of our community.
