Montana Students Have Worst Attendance Rates in the Country

According to a new report, students in Montana have the highest rates of absenteeism in the country.  An advocacy group called Attendance Works released the study, which compares attendance rates with test scores across the United States.  The news isn't good.

Nationwide, roughly 20% of students will miss three days of school in any given month.  Here in Montana, they estimated over 25% of fourth graders will be absent at least three times a month, and nearly 30% of eighth graders are chronic absentees. One major reason for those discouraging statistics is the alarming number of absences among Native American students. Over 40% of native american eighth graders in the state of Montana will miss school at least three times a month.

In spite of those sobering statistics, there is one bright side to the story.  Daily attendance is Montana schools is well above the national average.  Montana schools report a 94% daily attendance rate.  By way of comparison, the federal target for daily school attendance is 80%.

Sadly, the real victims of absenteeism will be the students.  Studies have consistently proven that lower attendance rates correlate with lower test scores.