Analyzing the Relationships between State School Policies and Absenteeism Rates for 9-12th Grade Students in Texas-Mexico Border Districts

Abstract

Chronic absenteeism can impact high school students’ long- and short-term development, especially in socio-economically challenged areas such as the Texas-Mexico border. We aimed to identify effective public school absenteeism policies and provide a roadmap for further investigation and state policy advocacy. This study analyzed four district-level school absenteeism policies in 88 public school districts along the Texas-Mexico border:  requiring parental notification after one absence, offering incentives for student attendance, assignment of a Truancy Prevention Facilitator, and punishing students for absenteeism.  District policies were collected through a review of district websites, student handbooks, codes of conduct, District Improvement Plans, and District of Innovation Plans. The chronic absenteeism and emergent bilingual/English learner (EB/EL) absenteeism rates reported in Texas Education Agency Texas Academic Performance Reports for grades 9-12 were utilized as attendance indicators. Hierarchical linear modeling, an ordinary least square regression-based analysis, was used to examine association relationships between the policies as independent variables and absenteeism rates as the dependent variables. School districts that do not offer attendance incentives and assign officers as truancy prevention facilitators have the highest predicted total chronic absenteeism rate; districts that do not offer attendance incentives and assign support services personnel as truancy prevention facilitators have the highest predicted EB/EL absenteeism rate. Districts with attendance incentives also are associated with higher EB/EL absenteeism. Identifying effective school policies to reduce chronic absenteeism will help districts better tailor the implementation of state policies and promote access to education and services.