Chadron High School has had a lot of recognition in the past 10 years or more on all of the academic successes including the 'Excellent' rating each of the past two years by the Nebraska Department of Education. However, we have issues that need attention. The good news is it doesn't involve test scores, curriculum or student behaviors ...it's student attendance.
Chronic Absenteeism = Any student missing 10% or more of instructional days regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused. Missing instruction for other than a school sponsored activity is ...missing school. Missing instructional days significantly impacts academic achievement, hindering reading skills, increasing drop out risk, and limiting social engagement.
A recent report on the attendance for Chadron High School shows:
Key Findings
- While overall attendance at Chadron High School remains strong, a significant subgroup of students is experiencing chronic absenteeism.
- Over 15% of students meet the definition of chronically absent.
- This equates to roughly 1 in every 6 students.
- The school's average absence rate (4.8%) indicates that most students attend regularly.
- However, chronic absenteeism is highly concentrated, with a relatively small number of students accounting for a disproportionate share of total absences.
- Several chronically absent students are missing 15-30% of instructional time, placing them at elevated academic and engagement risk.
Bottom Line
Chadron High School demonstrates solid overall attendance, but chronic absenteeism remains a meaningful challenge for some students.
In lieu of this data, current and planned strategies include proactive communication with families, early identification of attendance concerns, administrative and counseling follow-up, academic support for students impacted by absences, and collaboration with families to address barriers to consistent attendance. Letters have been mailed to families to notify of chronic absenteeism and we hope to work to improve attendance for all students.
Please help us become an even better school for our community by encouraging daily attendance for students!
