ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
The Impact of Attendance on Students Academic Success
Childs, J., & Lofton, R. (2021). Masking attendance: How education policy distracts from the
wicked problem(s) of chronic absenteeism.6Educational Policy, 35(2), 213–
234. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904820986771
This article analyzes the problem of chronic absenteeism in the schools and critiques how
education policies do not adequately address the reasons for chronic absenteeism. Childs and
Lofton (2021) assert that chronic absenteeism is a "wicked problem," an adjective to be used
when describing a problem that is complex, ill-defined, and with no known reasonable solutions.
It points out how policies tend to identify truancy laws, rather than more holistic schemes to
compensate for social and economic reasons for absenteeism or health conditions. The article
highlights that students with health challenges, students of color, and students of low-income
families make up the majority of those missing class, contributing to widening the achievement
gaps. Childs and Lofton (2021) advocate for jointly coordinated efforts between schools,
families, and communities to address issues related to absenteeism, such as poverty, lack of
access to healthcare, and transportation. They also emphasize that the earlier we intervene with
at-risk students, the better, and also centering around the data to use to identify such students. So,
this article will be used to discuss in the Related Literature section of the paper the systemic
issues responsible for chronic absenteeism and the limitations of current education policies. This
will help the argument that the absenteeism does not get solved only by imposing mere punitive
measures, but it needs systemic changes to tackle the core causes of this problem. Finally, the
article’s insights will also be used as a call for community, collaborative solutions to school
attendance and student outcomes.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
Santibañez, L., & Guarino, C. M. (2021). The effects of absenteeism on academic and social-
emotional outcomes: Lessons for COVID-19.6Educational Researcher, 50(6), 392–400.6
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X21994488
The effects of absenteeism on both academic and social-emotional outcomes in students
are explored in this article, but most particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Santibañez
and Guarino (2021) emphasize that absenteeism, for reasons ranging from illness to family
responsibilities and other issues, has a very negative effect on student achievement in English
and math. In addition, Santibañez and Guarino (2021) refer to absenteeism's social-emotional
impact on students, including being capable of developing and sustaining friendships with peers
and in school, developing self-regulation, and having a school belonging. According to the
article, such concerns have increased with the pandemic disruptions of COVID-19, with many
students having prolonged periods of distance learning and little social contact with adults and
peers. According to Santibañez and Guarino (2021), schools have a critical role in prioritizing re-
engagement for students and such academic and social-emotional gaps that occur through
absenteeism. In Related Literature, such a source will be referenced to present two consequences
of absenteeism, one academic and one social-emotional, and at the same time, about the
COVID-19 pandemic. This can help in providing the argument that dealing with absenteeism
goes beyond enhancing academic performance but concretely increases students’ well-being and
social development. The findings of the article will also be used to point to the need for targeted
interventions to enable vulnerable students who have been disproportionately impacted by the
pandemic.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4
Klein, M., Sosu, E. M., & Dare, S. (2022). School absenteeism and academic achievement: Does
the reason for absence matter?6AERA Open,
8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211071115
This article investigates whether the reasons for student absenteeism, such as illness,
family obligations, or disengagement, affect academic achievement differently. Klein, Sosu, and
Dare (2022) also find that all types of absenteeism lower academic performance, but the reasons
for the absence do matter. Specifically, absences due to illness have less serious consequences on
achievement than do absences attributed to student disengagement or truancy. Klein, Sosu, and
Dare (2022) argue that interventions should be designed in such a way that they address the
reasons behind absenteeism. Thus, Klein, Sosu, and Dare (2022) suggest that schools should take
a more nuanced approach to dealing with absenteeism and that for interventions, they should be
tailor-made in accordance with the underlying causes. For example, students who miss out on
school due to health reasons may need better school access to healthcare; students who disengage
from learning can have more specific support towards reengaging with school. Moreover, the
article strongly emphasizes early intervention and identification in averting becoming a long-
term problem in terms of absenteeism. Besides, in Related Literature, this source will be used to
explain how absenteeism in any form can impact academic performance. This will authenticate
an argument that interventions for curbing absenteeism must consider students' respective
environments and requirements. Besides, the article's findings will be used to accentuate early
intervention and allow schools to have a more individualized practice to enhance attendance.
Guryan, J., Christenson, S., Cureton, A., Lai, I., Ludwig, J., Schwarz, C., Shirey, E., & Turner,
M. C. (2020). The effect of mentoring on school attendance and academic outcomes: A
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5
randomized evaluation of the Check & Connect program.6NBER Working Paper No.
w27661.6 https://ssrn.com/abstract=3670496
The article documents a randomized evaluation of Check & Connect mentoring, a
mentoring intervention to enhance high-risk students' school attendance and academic
achievement. It engages students with mentors, tracking attendance, providing guidance, setting
objectives, and everything. What transpired is that students in the mentoring intervention
exhibited significant improvement in attendance and academic achievement compared to
students not in the mentoring intervention. Guryan et al. (2020) attribute the success of the
intervention to its strong mentor-student relationship, early intervention, and continued follow-
up. The article also emphasizes that mentoring and support services should be directed towards
non-academic barriers, including family issues and health concerns. However, Guryan et al.
(2020) argued that mentoring programs, such as Check & Connect, may be particularly effective
for students confronted with multiple challenges because they are personalized and help students
develop the skills and confidence they need to do well in school. The related literature for this
resource will discuss the effectiveness of mentoring programs in increasing attendance and
academic outcomes. This will be useful in demonstrating that relationship-based, targeted
interventions can also be highly effective in tackling chronic absenteeism in at-risk students. The
article will also feature the results of the findings to raise the topic about early intervention and
the importance of school building holistic approaches in improving attendance.
Dee, T. S. (2024). Higher chronic absenteeism threatens academic recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic.6Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America, 121(3), e2312249121.6https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.231224912
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 6
This article explores the increase in chronic absenteeism from the COVID-19 pandemic
and its effect on academic recovery. Dee (2024) emphasizes and warns that learning loss due to
the pandemic is being put at risk by chronic absenteeism that reaches unprecedented levels
among vulnerable populations. It covers health-based and gets their own world into having a
habit of absence, which is influenced by health concerns, mental health conditions, and the way
the family has been disrupted. Schools, therefore, need to adopt strategies to re-engage children
and solve the root of the absenteeism, which includes the provision of mental health and
communication with the families on the pool and the offer of alternative learning options. The
article also points out the importance of early intervention and the suitability of schools to be
proactive in early intervention and to identify and assist at-risk students. Dee (2024) contends
that the effects of the pandemic on student achievement could be long-lasting with severe effects
for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color, unless targeted interventions
are applied. In the Related Literature section, this resource will be used to explore how the
COVID-19 pandemic affects school attendance and the obstacles it presents towards academic
recovery. This will validate that only with an intervention regarding chronic absenteeism can one
mitigate the long-term consequences of the pandemic for students' achievement. In addition, the
article's findings will form a basis for supporting the necessity for providing specific
interventions for students disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Bergman, P., & Chan, E. W. (2021). Leveraging parents through low-cost technology: The
impact of high-frequency information on student achievement.6Journal of Human
Resources, 56(1), 125–158.6https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.56.1.1118-9837R
The article examines the role of offering parents constant feedback regarding students'
academic performance and attendance through affordable technology through SMS messages.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 7
Regardless, continuous contact between students' parents and students through parental contact
significantly contributed to students' attendance and academic performance. According to
Bergman and Chan (2021), such a practice works best in that it enables parents to contribute
highly to students' studies by providing them with expertise that will allow them to respond when
a problem occurs. The article also shows the cost viability of this strategy and concludes that this
is a good option for schools with limited budget resources. Bergman and Chan (2021) offer the
idea that frequent communication can be a bridge between schools and families in communities
where parents may be hindered by barriers to being involved in their kids’ education. The study
also found that all effects of these interventions were greatest for students at risk of chronic
absenteeism, indicating that such communication strategies targeted at students at risk of chronic
absenteeism can be effective in addressing attendance concerns. The related literature section
would present this resource to discuss the role of parental involvement in improving school
attendance and academic outcomes. This will strengthen the case that low-cost, technology-
based interventions are valid means of involving parents and fighting chronic absenteeism.
Communication and collaboration between schools and families will also be stressed as
important in improving student outcomes based on the findings of the article.
Wei, W. (2024). Exploring patterns of absenteeism from prekindergarten through early
elementary school and their associations with children’s academic outcomes.6AERA
Open, 10.6https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858424122821
Specifically, this article analyzes patterns of absenteeism from early childhood education
and its consequences in academic performance. Wei (2024) discovers that in the early years,
chronic absenteeism is marked by lower academic achievement in later grades, especially on
tests of reading and math. Finally, the study emphasizes the necessity of early intervention with
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 8
absenteeism because patterns of chronic absenteeism continue over time. In addition, Wei (2024)
argues in favor of early intervention in order to prevent long-term academic problems and in
support of targeted strategies to enhance attendance that involve, for example, support for
families and juvenile health barriers to attendance. The article suggests that schools need to be
more active in tracking and helping at-risk students as early on as attendance patterns start to
occur. The study found that students who were seen as chronically absent in prekindergarten
were more likely to face problems in academic achievement down at some point in the future,
which has shown that early absenteeism might influence students’ achievement quite a bit. In the
related literature section of this resource, this will be used to discuss the downstream impacts of
early absenteeism on these outcomes that date back for long. This will enable arguing why
absenteeism during early years is important in order to achieve long-term academic success.
Gottfried, M. A., & Ansari, A. (2021). Detailing new dangers: Linking kindergarten chronic
absenteeism to long-term declines in executive functioning.6The Elementary School
Journal, 121(3), 484–503.6https://doi.org/10.1086/71242
This article investigates the long-term effects of chronic kindergarten absenteeism on
children’s executive functioning skills, including self-regulation, working memory, and cognitive
flexibility. Gottfried and Ansari (2021) find that chronically absent kindergarten students are
more likely to present with greater executive functions that fail to grow incrementally over the
grades, negatively impacting academic performance and social-emotional development. The
study points out that absenteeism, a chronic ailment, should be addressed early since absenteeism
effects can lead to long-term effects in children’s cognitive and emotional development. This
justifies that schools must put more strategy into better attendance in early years to cater to
support for families and remove health-related barriers to attendance. The study also uncovered
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9
the fact that chronic absenteeism has a more negative impact on executive functioning in
students from low-income families. These observations imply that students from low-income
families may be at higher risk of the negative effects of absenteeism. The specific role of
interventions is urged to target at-risk students and their families, especially in early years when
attendance patterns are first determined. In the Related Literature section, this resource will
discuss how chronic absenteeism has long-term implications for a child’s executive function and
academic outcomes. This will provide a supporting argument for why early-year absenteeism
needs to be addressed since this is the way to future long-term academic and social-emotional
success. The article’s findings will also be used to highlight the importance of early intervention
and the nature of such targeted strategies to assist young children and their families.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
