Statewide attendance data for the 2023-24 school year was released today. Although 70% of Colorado school districts and BOCES improved student attendance rates, we still have some work to do. Overall, more than one in four of all Colorado students were chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. Chronic absenteeism is linked to sustained learning loss and an increased likelihood of falling behind and dropping out of high school. Even with recent declines, 241,119 students were chronically absent in 2023-24, the third-highest rate since data collection began in 2016.
Alongside its data release, the department announced its Every School Day Matters! attendance campaign focused on decreasing chronic absenteeism rates by 50% from the state’s pandemic high of 35.5% in 2021-22. Colorado Education Commissioner, Susana Córdova, said the department’s goal is to support students, families, and educators in reducing chronic absenteeism to 17.8% by the 2026-27 school year.
Parents, families, educators, and community partners can visit www.cdeinfo.org/attendance for information and resources. State and district attendance and chronic absenteeism data, as well as truancy rates at the state, district, and school levels, are available on the CDE website.
.