D.C. Councilmembers held an oversight hearing on chronic absenteeism and truancy.
Chairman Phil Mendelson, the only member of the Committee of the Whole who attended the hearing, listened to testimony from nearly three dozen peopleincluding students, teachers, education nonprofits, and government workersabout school attendance, the barriers students face when it comes to attendance, and how to remove those barriers.
Chronic absenteeism is defined by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education as missing more than 10% of all school days, whether the absence is excused or unexcused. That percentage equates to about 18 or more days. Chronic truancy is defined as at least 10 full-day, unexcused absences in a school year.
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