The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is facing a critically important challenge: getting students back into classrooms after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. while the district has seen a slight betterment in recent months, chronic absenteeism rates remain alarmingly high.
Prior to the pandemic, chronic absenteeism rates in LAUSD hovered between 11% and 18%, according to data from the California Department of Education. However, after schools shifted to online learning in March 2020, these rates more than doubled in the 2021-22 school year, reaching the highest level since the state began tracking this data in 2016.
The most recent data shows that over 136,000 LAUSD students were chronically absent in the 2023-24 school year, a decrease from the over 207,000 students who missed significant amounts of school in the previous year. Chronic absenteeism is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as missing at least 15 days of school in a year. Experts warn that these absences can have a detrimental impact on students’ academic progress.
“Absent students are at risk of falling behind their peers in their academic career,” says Thomas Dee, a Stanford professor and researcher specializing in chronic absenteeism.
While the pandemic undoubtedly exacerbated the issue, pinpointing the exact cause of the surge in absenteeism is complex. “So many moving parts of the pandemic make it hard to understand which part of the pandemic was really driving chronic absenteeism,” Dee explains.
Kevin Gee, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who also studies chronic absenteeism, suggests that a combination of factors is highly likely at play. “It could be family-level issues. It might very well be broader community issues,” he says.
gee believes the shift to online learning during the pandemic played a significant role. “The massive increases we saw during the pandemic are likely to be linked to the lack of connections that kids felt. Especially during the pandemic, when all schools went to online learning,” he explains.
While distance learning helped mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission, Gee suggests it may have come at a cost to students’ mental health and sense of belonging.”I think a lot of students and a lot of parents just felt really disengaged, and so when schools reopened … those feelings of disengagement perhaps carried over,” he says.”That’s why some parents were not only disengaged, but that’s why they were like, ‘Okay, if my kid is going to be absent, I think that’s that’s fine.’”
LAUSD officials are acutely aware of the problem and are actively working to bring students back into classrooms. The district is implementing various strategies to address the root causes of absenteeism and create a more supportive learning environment.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is grappling with a persistent challenge: chronic absenteeism, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.While the district has seen some improvement, concerns remain, especially for Latino and Hispanic students who make up the majority of LAUSD’s student body.
Rocio Rivas, an LAUSD Board member representing District Two, highlighted the district’s efforts to re-engage students. “The district has been really active in hiring more social workers, more counselors … and having those data digs to look more at chronic absenteeism,” Rivas said.
One initiative involves direct outreach to families.Rivas explained that school officials conduct home visits for students absent for five consecutive days. These visits foster open interaction, allowing officials to understand the reasons behind absences and connect families with available resources. Though,the sustainability of such programs hinges on funding,which is facing significant constraints.
“This September, the federal funds from the COVID funds are ending. We’re not getting any more money,” Rivas said. “So we really have to be strategic in the funds we have, how can we optimize efficiently and effectively the funds we have.”
LAUSD’s budget for the 2024-25 academic year is $18.4 billion, a decrease of $400 million from the previous year.This reduction, coupled with a nationwide decline in public school enrollment during the pandemic, adds further pressure on the district’s finances.
Thomas dee, a professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, emphasized the financial strain on California school districts due to declining enrollment. “There’s this second financial pressure too … the flight from public schools during the pandemic. Roughly 1.2 million students left public schools… and they haven’t returned and they’re unlikely to return,” dee said.
Funding for California school districts is partially tied to student enrollment, making under-enrollment a serious concern. Dee noted that many districts are facing the arduous prospect of closures.
The impact of chronic absenteeism is not uniform. Minority communities, particularly those with high concentrations of Latino and Hispanic students, are disproportionately affected. This raises concerns about the potential for school closures in these areas.
District Two, which primarily serves Latino and Hispanic students, saw a significant spike in chronic absenteeism, reaching 55.4% in the 2021-22 school year, according to LAUSD’s open data source. While this rate decreased by 18 percentage points the following year, suggesting the effectiveness of implemented programs, the 38% chronic absenteeism rate among Latino and Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year remains a cause for concern.
this demographic group constitutes nearly three-quarters of all K-12 students within LAUSD, highlighting the urgency of addressing chronic absenteeism.
The consequences of chronic absenteeism are far-reaching. “We have quite good evidence that chronic absenteeism is harmful to student learning,” Dee said. “Nearly 20 years of test score gains have been wiped out during the pandemic and we haven’t really gotten those back.”
While the California Department of Education reports a 5 percentage point decrease in chronic absenteeism rates between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, education officials acknowledge that progress is slow. Despite budget constraints, they remain committed to bringing students back into the classroom.
“The district is doing everything possible to really get those numbers back to where they were in 2018 and 2019,” Rivas said.
## LAUSD Battles stubborn Chronic Absenteeism: An Expert Interview
**World Today News:** Chronic absenteeism rates in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) remain stubbornly high despite recent improvements. While the pandemic undeniably exacerbated the issue, experts are pinpointing the exact causes of this surge in student absences.
Today we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Dee,a Professor at Stanford University who specializes in chronic absenteeism research,and Dr. Kevin Gee, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who also studies this critical issue, to shed light on the complexities of chronic absenteeism and potential solutions.
**World Today News:** Dr. Dee, you’ve dedicated your career to understanding chronic absenteeism. Can you shed light on its impact on students?
**Dr. Dee:** Absent students are at increased risk of falling behind their peers academically. They miss critical instruction, struggle to keep up with assignments, and often face social and emotional isolation. This can create a vicious cycle, further disengaging them from school.
**World Today News:** Dr. Gee, while the pandemic undoubtedly played a role in the surge in absenteeism, what other factors might be contributing to this issue?
**Dr. Gee:** It’s a complex interplay of factors.Family-level issues like housing insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, or health concerns can contribute to absenteeism. Broader community issues such as economic hardship, exposure to violence, or lack of access to quality childcare can also play a role.
The shift to online learning during the pandemic likely exacerbated these pre-existing issues.
**World Today News:** You mentioned online learning. Can you elaborate on its potential impact on student engagement and absenteeism?
**Dr. Gee:** Online learning, while necessary during the pandemic, may have come at a cost to students’ mental health and sense of belonging. Manny students lacked the social interaction and structure they needed to thrive,leading to feelings of disengagement and ultimately,increased absenteeism. These feelings may have persisted even after schools reopened, making it harder to re-engage some students.
**World Today News:** Dr. Dee, what are some promising strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism?
**Dr. Dee:** A multi-pronged approach is crucial. This includes early identification and intervention, family engagement initiatives, and creating supportive school environments that foster a sense of belonging. Data-driven approaches that pinpoint specific student needs are also vital.
**World Today News:** LAUSD has implemented several initiatives to address absenteeism,including targeted outreach to families.
**World Today News:** How effective are these strategies in your experience, Dr. Rivas?
**Rocio Rivas:** We’re seeing some encouraging results. Home visits for students with consecutive absences allow us to build relationships with families, understand their challenges, and connect them with resources. Though, we need sustained funding to ensure these programs can continue and expand.
**World Today News:** What’s the biggest challenge facing LAUSD as they tackle this issue?
**Rocio Rivas:** The expiration of federal COVID funds presents a major hurdle. We need to be strategic with our limited resources, ensure existing programs are data-driven and efficient, and advocate for ongoing funding to support our moast vulnerable students.
**World Today News:** Thank you both for sharing your valuable insights. as LAUSD continues to grapple with chronic absenteeism, understanding its complex causes and implementing effective solutions is crucial to ensure that all students have the chance to achieve their full potential.
