With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
School Attendance Dropped During The Pandemic, But New Data Suggests A Rebound
An L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD) delivery truck at Budlong Ave. Elementary School.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
LAist
)
Topline:
California student attendance is rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic years. That’s a promising sign for academic recovery, based on state data released Friday.
Why it matters: As students started returning to school in person during the 2021-22 school year, about 30% of them missed a month of class or more. The most recent data show chronic absenteeism is now down to 24% statewide. In the last full school year before the pandemic, it was 12%. Black, unhoused and American Indian students continue to miss a lot more days than their peers.
Where’s the data from? The information released Friday comes from the California School Dashboard, a smorgasbord of color-coded data including test scores, graduation, and suspension rates at the state, district, and school level.
Support for LAist comes from
What about Los Angeles Unified?: Los Angeles Unified has seen more consistent attendance, though rates of chronic absence are still higher than the state average at 31%. Since spring 2022, district staff have visited more than 23,000 homes as part of an effort to connect chronically absent families with resources and academic support.
”We recognize there is still work to do and will continue focusing our efforts on improving attendance,” an LAUSD spokesperson said in a statement.
What does this mean for my child? As we’ve reported before, there’s an educational and financial cost to chronic absenteeism. Educators say they can’t help students catch up if they’re not in the classroom and schools with lower average attendance can lose state funding. Here’s where you can look up how your district is doing.
Absence vs. absenteeism: If your child is tardy, leaves early, or misses a whole day of school, it’s important to let the district know why. Here’s more information.
Do these numbers mean things are getting “back to normal”? It’s not unimportant!
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist