Attendance

The Problem: Absenteeism

While absenteeism has always posed a threat to student achievement and well-being, post-pandemic, the issue has grown to epidemic proportions. No state has returned to its pre-pandemic attendance rate. Years on, most states still report “chronic absenteeism” at over 20 percent.

The impact is profound, for teachers, the students who miss school, and even those who don’t. Absenteeism negatively affects socialization skills, reading skills, grades, test scores, graduation rates, and college enrollment and completion. When teachers are managing learning loss, they have less time for the whole class, including those who don’t miss class. 

The Solution: SEL

While attempts to change behavior see some benefits, SEL addresses the root cause, offering powerful strategies for creating a school community that emphasizes relationships, belonging, and engagement. 

The Bottom Line: When students feel welcomed, valued, and connected in their schools, they show up to class. SEL offers schools a powerful way to do that. 

Researchers across the field have connected the outcomes of SEL with higher school attendance, academic achievement, and other goals we have for students. For example:

• Positive school climate is associated with higher attendance levels (Graham et al., 2026; Kim and Gentle-Genitty, 2020) and higher levels of academic achievement (Daily et al., 2020). 
• Increased sense of belonging not only boosts attendance, it also addresses engagement and feelings of academic failure (Allensworth et al., 2025; Solomon et al., 2000; Schaps et al., 2004; Watson et al., 1997).
• Students who show improvements in social-emotional competencies over the course of the year were less likely to be absent (Johnson et al., 2026).

The strategies that help generate greater attendance and its other benefits are those that are promoted through SEL, as outlined in CASEL’s Indicators of Schoolwide SEL.

Our Work: Attendance

COMING SOON: Improving Attendance Through School Culture 
Comprehensive professional learning and technical assistance to boost attendance and build students’ relationships with adults and peers. Sign up now to be notified when the program launches. 

Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School (2020)
CASEL collaborated with more than 40 organizations to create detailed recommendations supporting students and adults during the pandemic on topics including attendance.

Blogs

What Social-Emotional Growth Can Tell Us About Student Attendance, contributed by Dr. Evelyn Johnson and Emily Taylor, Riverside Insights