School Attendance Patterns in Iowa: Chronic Absence in the Early Grades

A growing body of research points to the critical importance of helping young children—at the start of their academic lives—get into the habit of attending school every day. A student is considered chronically absent if he or she misses 10 percent or more of school days for any reason. In Iowa, that means 18 days or more in a 180-day school year, the equivalent of nearly a month of school.