Guiding Strategies to Reduce Chronic Absence

On June 10, 2025, national leaders in health and education gathered at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., to share and discuss strategies to address chronic absence among students across the United States.

Today, more than one in four students nationwide are considered chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. In some districts, that number is closer to one in two students. Chronic absence puts long-term learning, health, development, and future economic stability at risk. While it affects students across all demographics, disparities are especially pronounced across race, geography, and socioeconomic status. Many of the root causes, such as limited access to healthcare, housing instability, and family stress, stem from broader systemic barriers and originate outside the school environment. Prior research from the Initiative sought novel ways to build bridges between education and healthcare providers to address the root causes of chronic absence

Ahead of the convening, public health and education experts from Johns Hopkins University, Kaiser Permanente, and Attendance Works developed a white paper that frames chronic absence as a marker of broader community health rather than an individual or school-based issue. The white paper, “All in for Attendance: Collective action for public health strategies that address chronic absence,” offers three guiding principles:

1. Use school attendance data as a vital sign of student and system well-being to drive action
2. Develop strategic partnerships to align goals and drive progress on reducing chronic absence
3. Develop strengths-based policies and programs to promote school attendance and prevent chronic absence

“These principles are grounded in the recognition that chronic absence is not solely an educational issue, but a public health concern,” said Catherine Falconer, a Harkness Fellow and lead researcher for this project. “Reframing it this way opens the door to deeper collaboration between healthcare professionals and educators, ultimately improving outcomes for young people.”

A panel of healthcare providers, non-profit executives, and policymakers highlighted the impact of the current lack of communication between healthcare providers and educators. Panelist Hedy Chang, founder of Attendance Works, shared a story from a recent meeting in which her colleague shared that “in many cases we are so data rich, but we are action poor.” She added that, “we should be able to aggregate all of this data we are collecting, along with what we are hearing from students, teachers, and community partners, to actually build a solution that will work.” 

Later, Professor Dougal Hargreaves of Imperial College London emphasized the impact of mental health and special educational needs on school attendance. He underscored the importance of distinguishing emotionally based school avoidance and anxiety rooted in school environments, advocating for tailored support to reduce these barriers.

The plenary concluded with powerful reflections from students in the Johns Hopkins University HeartSmiles Youth Council and Kaiser Permanente’s Schools Youth Advisory Council. They shared personal stories, including one about a peer with an invisible health condition who faced punitive responses from teachers rather than empathy when she missed school. Greater coordination between healthcare providers and educators, they noted, could have made a critical difference in that student’s ability to feel supported and succeed.

One student poignantly summed up the call to action:

“Please listen to us. Please meet us with empathy and understanding. Please believe us.”

While significant work remains, the guiding principles put forward by Falconer and her colleagues are a promising foundation for collective progress toward reducing chronic absence in America.

Click here to watch a recording of the plenary session.

*Please note that the final panel discussion with youth participants is unavailable for viewing.