Fourteen states have pledged to reduce chronic student absenteeism by 50% over the next five years. Chronic school absence rates nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from one in six to almost one in three students, according to Attendance Works.
Education advocates challenged state leaders to commit to halving chronic absenteeism by 2029. The push would target over 9 million enrolled students across all regions of the United States in an attempt to get them back into the classroom.
The 14 states are: Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
