School policymakers need to attend more to attendance

As the old saying goes, 90% of success in life comes from just showing up. For proof, look no farther than the devastating effect of absenteeism in kindergarten and the early grades on a child’s chance to succeed in school. In fact, chronic absenteeism in all grades — usually defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason — is all over the news these days. Students of all ages are missing school at record rates, including in Maryland, where 31% of all students were chronically absent in 2023.