Chronic Absenteeism Indicator

This indicator, reported on the California School Dashboard, applies to districts and schools with students in grades TK–8.

What is this Indicator?

The Chronic Absenteeism Indicator is one of several state indicators that the California Department of Education (CDE) reports on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard). It represents the percentage of students who were absent for 10 percent or more of the instructional days they were enrolled to attend.

For most of the other state indicators, the desired outcome is to have a high percentage in the current year and an increase in percentage from the prior year. However, for this indicator, the desired outcome is reversed and the goal is to achieve a low chronic absenteeism rate.

This indicator is reported on the Dashboard for any local educational agency (LEA) and school that enrolls students in transitional kindergarten through grade eight. Students must be enrolled for at least 31 instructional days to be included in the chronic absenteeism rate. While the Chronic Absenteeism Indicator is limited to data from grades transitional kindergarten through grade eight, data is collected and reported on grades nine through twelve on DataQuest.

Additional Reports

Designed for educators, the School Dashboard Additional Reports offer information and data beyond what are reported on the Dashboard, including summarized views across all state indicators. One report specific to this indicator is the:

2024 Five-by-Five Chronic Absenteeism Placement Report

Resources

General Information about the Indicator

Chronic Absenteeism flyer(PDF)

Technical Information about the Indicator

2024 Dashboard Technical Guide - This guide is the key to unlocking how the Chronic Absenteeism indicator is calculated for the Dashboard. An extensive review of the Chronic Absenteeism Indicator, and all other state indicators is covered with explanations on the calculation formulas and business rules.
Handbook on the Connections Between CALPADS and the Dashboard(DOCX) - A user-friendly handbook filled with print screens to help you confirm your California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) data before it is used for the Dashboard. You will see which reports in CALPADS allow you to check and validate your Dashboard data.
District of Residence flyer(PDF) - The District of Special Education Accountability rule is applied to all state indicators, including Chronic Absenteesim. Download this flyer to learn more.
DataQuest: Absenteeism by Reason Report - Additional information on the counts and reasons for absences for TK-12 students can be found on DataQuest.
Crosswalk Between the California School Dashboard and DataQuest(DOCX) - This document provides a short overview of the differences in the way that data are produced for the Dashboard and DataQuest. For instance, while the Dashboard reports out on chronic absenteeism for grades TK-8, DataQuest provides information on grades TK-12.
Downloadable Data Files: Chronic Absenteeism - Access statewide LEA, school, and student group Dashboard chronic absenteeism rate results.
Downloadable Data Files: Absenteeism Data - Access reports and data about student absenteeism, including absenteeism by reason and chronic absenteeism counts and rates disaggregated by race/ethnicity, program subgroup, grade level, and academic year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Chronic Absenteeism Indicator FAQs web page addresses the common questions received on this state indicator.

Additional Information about the Dashboard

Connect to the Dashboard Measures tab on the Dashboard Resources web page to learn about other state indicators reported on the Dashboard.
View the Dashboard Communications Toolkit to enhance your knowledge about the 2024 Dashboard.
Resources for parents, educators, and those new to the Dashboard are available on the Dashboard Resources web page.
Five-by-Five Colored Tables – Access the Status cut scores, Change cut scores, and Performance Levels (or colors) for each state indicator.

Next Steps

There are no next steps or upcoming changes for this indicator.