Chronic absenteeism, which rose sharply during the pandemic, has remained persistently high post-pandemic, with detrimental consequences for students and schools. One aspect of absenteeism that is particularly challenging is the potential for absences to be self-reinforcing; missed school erodes relationships and academic confidence, which in turn could make future absences more likely.
This brief argues that social and emotional learning (SEL) has the potential to address multiple root causes: weak relationships, low sense of belonging, and unsupportive school climates. Drawing on a growing evidence base, we show that SEL programming is associated with meaningful reductions in absenteeism, that relationship skills and educator-student trust are consistently linked to better attendance, and that school climate predicts absenteeism rates at scale. We then translate this evidence into policy recommendations for federal, state, and district leaders, including innovative legislative solutions, embedding SEL and climate measures into state accountability systems, eliminating exclusionary discipline practices that push students further from school, and equipping state education agencies to help districts treat attendance as part of a broader system of student support rather than a stand-alone metric.
Learn more about CASEL’s work on attendance and SEL.
