Chronic absenteeism from school is linked with lower student achievement, disengagement, and increased risk of dropping out. State boards of education that want to address these issues should consider adding chronic absenteeism as the added measure of school quality that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have already indicated they plan to do so or are considering it. This policy update by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) provides an overview the impact its made in states.
