catalyst-chicago.org

Truancy has always been recognized as a risk factor for dropping out of high school. In the battle to prevent it, some educators and experts are shifting their attention to chronic absenteeism in younger students. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days. Preschool and the primary grades lay the educational foundation for children, but missing too much school in these critical early grades can easily crack that foundation—especially among children in poverty.