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AIR FORCE HS

3630 S WELLS St

Chicago, Illinois 60609

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Chronic Absence

Chronic Absence shows the percentage of students who miss 10% or more of the school year, whether the absences are excused or unexcused.

Chronic Absence Rate

39.6%

 -10.0% decrease from previous school year

View Chart

What it's Based On

Daily Attendance Records

(Pre-K to grade 12)

Whether students are marked as present or absent each day.

18+ Days Missed Per Year

Missing about 2 days each month (18+ days in a year) counts as chronic absence.

Why This Matters

Regular attendance is critical for learning. Students who miss too much school are more likely to fall behind in reading, have lower grades, and may be less likely to graduate.

  • In Pre-K and early grades, chronic absence predicts future attendance problems.
  • By 6th grade, it is one of three early signs a student may drop out later.
  • By 9th grade, attendance is an even stronger predictor of graduation than 8th grade test scores.

What It Can & Cannot Tell You

It Can Tell You:

  • Can show if large groups of students are missing too much school.
  • Can highlight schools or grade levels where extra support may be needed.

It Cannot Tell You:

  • Cannot explain why students are absent (health, transportation, safety, family needs).
  • Is not the same as chronic truancy — this measure includes excused absences.
  • High schools often have higher absence rates than elementary schools, so comparisons should be made at the school vs. network level, not school vs. district.

Chronic Absence Rate

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Questions You May Ask the School

  • What supports are available if students struggle with attendance?
  • How does the school track and share attendance patterns with families?
  • What steps is the school taking to remove barriers that keep students from attending regularly?

More About This Metric

View the Calculation Sheet to learn more about how this data is measured. [ English | Spanish ]

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