The impact of instructional modality on student attendance and chronic absenteeism: A multi-year analysis across school types and grades in New York State

This study examines how different teaching modalities affect chronic absenteeism and student attendance in New York State across grade levels, school types, and academic years. Chronic absenteeism exhibits an inverse trend, with the highest attendance rates seen in early grades (1–4) and a steady decline through high school (grades 9–12), according to the analysis, which uses data from 2016–17 to 2020–21. The shift toward remote or distant remote during the pandemic may be attributed to the notable decline in attendance during the 2019–20 academic year, even though the median attendance across onsite, hybrid, and online modalities is still above 91%. There are also minor gender differences, with absenteeism rates slightly higher among male students. These results show that attendance patterns are highly influenced by grade level, the way that instruction is delivered, and outside variables like the pandemic. The study emphasizes the necessity of focused approaches to address absenteeism, especially when it occurs during non-traditional learning environments and among high school students.