It is Indisputable that Staggering Absenteeism and Trauma Rates in the U.S. are the Root of the Academic Crisis
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2024 Kids Count Data Book[1] definitively explores this root cause and calls for greater investment in family engagement. The report definitively states that nearly 15 million children were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year, and millions more had at least one traumatic experience. These rates are double the pre-pandemic figures.
The report directly addresses the social, health, and economic factors that disproportionately affect indigenous, Black, and Latino children. The data is clear: child mortality is on the rise, and fewer and fewer 3- and 4-year-olds are attending school. Two in five children have had at least one adverse childhood experience, and in Mississippi and New Mexico, the rate is as high as half.
Experts are clear that urgent investments in family engagement, social-emotional health, and tutoring are essential to ensure children are not left behind in the rapidly growing STEM fields.
The report reveals that Alaska, Arizona, Washington D.C., and Oregon have the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, while New Jersey and Washington have the lowest. The data book also identifies common factors that prevent children from attending school, such as economic or housing instability.
[1] https://www.aecf.org/resources/2024-kids-count-data-book
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