NY State Ed’s disappointing approach to increased chronic absenteeism in schools: Tracking will no longer be a priority

There has been a long-standing criticism towards the State Education Department and the state Board of Regents for their lack of focus on excellence, and the recent actions by SED have only intensified this criticism.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli recently highlighted the significant increase in truancy rates in New York schools following the pandemic, with the rates remaining alarmingly high.

Instead of addressing the issue, SED has chosen to hide the data.

DiNapoli’s findings revealed that nearly one-third of students in New York are chronically truant, a significant increase due to school closures and remote learning.

In the 2022-23 school year, the K-12 chronic absenteeism rate reached 29.1%, indicating that a substantial number of kids missed a significant portion of the school year.

Notably, the rate was highest among high school students at 34.1%, which is 7.6 points higher than elementary and middle school students.

Within New York City public schools, 34.8% of students were chronically absent in Fiscal Year 2024, showing a slight decrease from the previous year’s 36.2%.

This chronic absenteeism not only hinders learning but also puts students at risk of dropping out or graduating without the necessary skills and knowledge.

It is also a significant indicator of future delinquency and dysfunction.

DiNapoli emphasizes that addressing chronic absenteeism is crucial in reversing the learning loss experienced during the pandemic.

SED’s response to school districts is to tackle truancy by offering free school breakfast, increasing communication with parents, and rewarding good attendance.

Additionally, SED plans to stop reporting chronic absenteeism and instead provide an “attendance indicator” to detect early signs of absenteeism.

This change conveniently muffles the alarm bells and hinders meaningful comparisons between past and future attendance data.

This approach is disgraceful.

The Regents are also on the verge of approving new high school graduation requirements that overlook actual achievement and academic proficiency.

This shift will distort the education system to favor special interests rather than the students.

SED and the Regents have abandoned the education of New York’s children, prioritizing the interests of teachers unions and profiteers over student success.

It is important to note that neither SED nor the Regents answer to Gov. Kathy Hochul, as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie holds considerable influence.

There is a lack of accountability among the state’s elected leaders in addressing these issues, leaving New York’s future at stake.

It is time to demand better for our children and hold those in power accountable for their neglect.