US school attendance, test scores drop; NYC loses thousands of kindergarteners

Aug 11, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ben Burke (Editor)

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Not only is there a teacher shortage coming out of the pandemic, there is now also a shortage of students attending class. Data from Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee in partnership with The Associated Press found that over 25% of U.S. students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year.

In many states, missing over 10% of the year is considered chronically absent. This problem has grown in the past few years. Before the pandemic, only 15% of students were considered chronically absent.

Finances, transportation issues, anxiety, bullying and school staffing shortages are all contributing to kids staying home and missing school. However, attendance is not the only issue schools are facing.

Over the past year in a post-pandemic poll about U.S. schooling, the Nation’s Report Card found that even students attending classes are testing at record low levels.

The New York Post reported New York City public schools are seeing a 17% drop in kindergarten enrollment from the 2016-17 school year — almost 12,000 students. Meanwhile, area charter school enrollment has increased by 18% — about 20,000 students.

Tags: Charter school, Children, Education, New York City, Teacher Shortage

EARLIER THIS WEEK — WE DISCUSSED THE TEACHER SHORTAGE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
YOU CAN FIND THAT STORY ON S-A-N-DOT-COM. NOW — IT APPEARS THERE IS ALSO A SHORTAGE OF STUDENTS ATTENDING CLASS.

DATA COMPILED BY A STANFORD UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PROFESSOR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FOUND MORE THAN A QUARTER OF U-S STUDENTS MISSED AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF THE 20-21-20-22 SCHOOLYEAR.
10 PERCENT IS THE THRESHOLD A STUDENT REACHES TO BE CONSIDERED CHRONICALLY ABSENT.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC — ONLY 15 PERCENT OF STUDENTS MET SUCH A THRESHOLD.

REASONS FOR KIDS STAYING HOME INCLUDE FINANCES, TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, ANXIETY, BULLYING AND SCHOOL STAFFING SHORTAGES.
THESE TEACHER SHORTAGES AND STUDENT ABSENCES ARE ONLY PILING ONTO ISSUES WITH U-S SCHOOLING IN A POST-PANDEMIC POLL.
OVER THE PAST YEAR — THE NATION’S REPORT CARD FOUND EVEN THE STUDENTS ATTENDING CLASSES ARE TESTING AT RECORD LOW LEVELS.

NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS DEALING WITH ITS OWN SEPARATE ISSUES — NOTABLY WHEN IT COMES TO KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT.
ACCORDING TO A NEW YORK POST REPORT — THE CITY HAS SEEN A 17-PERCENT DROP IN ENROLLMENT FROM THE 20-16-20-17 SCHOOL YEAR TO LAST YEAR.

AREA CHARTER SCHOOLS APPEARED TO HAVE BENEFITTED MOST OUT OF THIS TREND — GROWING BY MORE THAN 20-THOUSAND STUDENTS — OR 18 PERCENT — IN THAT SAME TIMEFRAME.