Chapter 1: Understanding and Addressing Attendance Problems in Urban Schools

Chronic school absenteeism can fundamentally alter a child’s developmental trajectory, often for the worse. This chapter discusses the impact and interplay of macro and microlevel contextual factors that increase risk for absenteeism from a stress-and-coping perspective. School avoidance often serves as an avoidant coping response to specific stressors such as school violence, but when prolonged, leads to significant academic and social problems. Five types of absenteeism are described and illustrated with case examples. In addition, a school service-delivery model for absenteeism is presented along with research and practice recommendations. Poverty, violence, and racial/ethnic discrimination are highlighted as common stressors in urban schools that can trigger school avoidance and require solutions at both the policy level and the individual student level.