As Nevada pushes forward with increasing demands for accountability in the education system, it is increasingly important to dig deeper into the factors that may impact student achievement. Student absenteeism is one of these factors, with over one quarter of Nevada students being chronically absent last school year.
Chronic absenteeism lowers academic performance as students struggle to keep up. Frequent absences create gaps in knowledge, making it harder for students to grasp new material. Students who are chronically absent are more likely to fall behind, become disengaged, and eventually drop out of school. Research shows that chronic absenteeism is linked to lower test scores and grades, especially in reading and math.
While Nevada has put much of the responsibility for student achievement on classroom teachers, including tying a teacher’s evaluation to student growth, the reality is always more complicated. Disaggregating student achievement data by attendance will provide better insight into the effectiveness of classroom instruction to those who are attending. This data will also give state and school leaders better information, so they can adjust their efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism. We ask for your support of the bill.
What's On Your Mind?
