Chronic Absenteeism

Public school students are defined as chronically absent if they miss ten percent or more of school days, which in Oklahoma would would be approximately 18 days in a normal 180-day school calendar. Both excused and unexcused absences (known as truancy) are counted in calculating rates of chronic absenteeism.

Chronic absenteeism is associated with a whole host of educational challenges for students. Children who are chronically absent from school perform worse academically, are more likely to drop out, and experience poor outcomes later in life, from poverty and diminished health to involvement in the criminal justice system.  High rates of chronic absenteeism, while a longstanding problem, have gained renewed attention and urgency since the COVID-19 crisis upended traditional patterns of school attendance for many students and families. Across the United States, the chronic absenteeism rate increased from 15 percent in 2019 to 28 percent in 2022 and remained substantially elevated in 2023. In Oklahoma, the rise in chronic absenteeism has been less dramatic but still notable, increasing from 13 percent in 2019 to 21 percent statewide in 2023.