How Tutoring Improves Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism

October 2024
Jonah Liebert 

The Biden-Harris administration has identified chronic absenteeism as a significant issue, with nearly 31% of students missing 10% or more school days during the 2021-2022 school year. Chronic absenteeism accounts for a substantial portion of the drop in post-pandemic test scores in math and reading, according to the Council of Economic Advisers. Tutoring is one approach that researchers have examined to address attendance. In the analysis we present below, we find a reduction in chronic absenteeism for students who consistently work with a GO Fellow.

Our analysis examined the relationship between student attendance for those with and without a tutor, or as we call them, Fellow. This analysis was possible because our school partner, Center City Public Charter Schools, shared attendance data with us that allows us to compare attendance of students with and without a Fellow. Specifically, we focus on in-seat attendance (ISA) and chronic absenteeism, comparing students who work with a Fellow to those who do not.

To ensure a robust and meaningful comparison, our analysis controls for grade level, school, and other characteristics. This approach allows us to get closer to an apples-to-apples comparison by minimizing the influence of external factors that could skew the results. By isolating the impact of having a Fellow, we can more accurately determine whether tutoring services provided by Fellows truly make a difference in student attendance.

Key Findings: 

The plots illustrate the relationship between consistent tutoring and two key attendance metrics: in-seat attendance and chronic absenteeism. The top graph shows that as tutoring consistency increases, in-seat attendance improves. Students receiving no consistent tutoring have an average projected in-seat attendance of 88.9%, while those with some tutoring show a slight increase to 89.7%. Students with consistent tutoring demonstrate the highest in-seat attendance at 91.1%, suggesting a positive impact of regular tutoring on attendance.

The bottom graph depicts the relationship between tutoring consistency and chronic absenteeism. Here, we see a notable decrease in chronic absenteeism as tutoring consistency improves. Students with no consistent tutoring have a projected chronic absenteeism rate of 43.1%, which drops significantly to 38.5% for those with some tutoring. Students receiving consistent tutoring show a similar rate of 38.6%, indicating that even some tutoring can substantially reduce chronic absenteeism.

Overall, these graphs suggest that consistent tutoring is associated with improved attendance patterns, with the most substantial benefits seen in reducing chronic absenteeism. The plot suggests a positive correlation between increased tutoring intensity and higher attendance rates, while higher tutoring intensity correlates with a reduction in the proportion of chronically absent students.

Higher attendance rates and lower chronic absenteeism are directly correlated with improved academic performance. The presence of a Fellow, especially with consistent tutoring, positively influences attendance and reduces absenteeism, thereby boosting academic success. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds often face more barriers to regular attendance and rarely have access to a tutor. Tutoring programs like those offered by GO Tutor Corps can provide the additional support needed to overcome these challenges, promoting greater educational equity.