Attendance Study

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is partnering with the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC) to conduct a statewide study on school attendance. This study seeks to learn more about patterns and outcomes related to student attendance in Ohio, as well as local school district attendance policies. This mixed methods study seeks to answer four broad overarching research questions: 1) What patterns exist regarding student attendance in Ohio? 2) How is student attendance related to academic achievement? 3) How are excused and unexcused absences operationalized and tracked? 4) How do districts use data to identify students in need of interventions? What strategies are districts using? Three primary data sources will be used: EMIS records from 2016 - 2023; local attendance records from select school districts; and a statewide survey. Analysis of EMIS records will be conducted to identify statewide patterns of student attendance and examine the relationship between student attendance and academic achievement. Local attendance records from select school district will be analyzed to further understand patterns of student attendance. The statewide survey will collect data on how Ohio school districts and community schools operationalize and track excused and unexcused absence, and how districts use data to identify students in need of interventions. Findings from the EMIS data analysis, district deep dives, and statewide surveys will be synthesized and presented in guidance documents for educators.
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