What are the causes of chronic absenteeism, and how can we prioritize students’ voices in the solution? Take a look at our actionable insights that can help inform school policies and programs to support students’ wellbeing.

Latest Publication

Before the Bell: Obstacles Preventing Children from Attending School

Written by: Arya Ansari, Joshua Childs, Kevin Gee, Michael Gottfried, Ethan Hutt, Sarah Lenhoff

A collaborative issue brief that identifies nine barriers causing chronic absenteeism. This brief also identifies ways that schools, communities, and government agencies can work together to improve the conditions for student attendance.

Published by Detroit PEER, designed by University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and in support of the White House and U.S. Department of Education.

Additional Resources on Absenteeism

Gee, K.A., Gottfried, M.A., Freeman, J.A., Kim, P. Explaining disparities in absenteeism between kindergarteners with and without disabilities: A decomposition approach. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 67(2). 295-306.

Kim, C., Gee, K. A., Byrd, R. (2019). Excessive absenteeism due to asthma in California schoolchildren. Academic Pediatrics. 20(7). 950-957.

Gee, K. A. (2018). Minding the Gaps in Absenteeism: Disparities in Absenteeism by Race/Ethnicity, Poverty and Disability. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. 23(1-2): 204-208.

Gottfried, M. A., Gee, K. A. (2017). Identifying the Determinants of Chronic Absenteeism: A Bioecological Systems Approach. Teachers College Record. 119(7).

Gee, K. A. (2019). Variation in chronic absenteeism: The role of children, classrooms and schools. In M. Gottfried and E. Hutt (Eds.), Absent from School: Understanding and Addressing Student Absenteeism. (pp. 35-52). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Chang, H. N., Gee, K. A., Hennessy, B., Alexandro, D, Gopalakrishnan, A. (2021). Chronic absence patterns and prediction: Insights from Connecticut. Attendance Works.

Gee, K. A. & Kim, C. (2019). Chronic absence in California: What new dashboard data reveals about school performance. Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) Policy Brief, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.