Virginia has been recognized for its progress in reducing chronic absenteeism among students, according to an announcement by Governor Glenn Youngkin. Attendance Works, a national organization focused on school attendance policy, highlighted Virginia in its annual review and featured the state’s efforts in a dedicated case study.
The recognition comes after the first year of Virginia’s plan to address chronic absenteeism. The initiative began in September 2023 when Governor Youngkin established the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force as part of his ALL In Initiative. This effort is aimed at addressing learning loss through improvements in attendance, literacy, and overall learning outcomes.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive in the classroom, and that starts with being present in school,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Through the ALL In VA Initiative, we are tackling chronic absenteeism head-on and giving students the support they need to succeed. I am proud of the progress we’ve made together, but we will not stop until every student is consistently in school, learning, and building the foundation for a brighter future.”
Secretary of Education Aimee R. Guidera commented on the importance of in-person education: “Prolonged and unnecessary school closures reinforced a core tenet of education: students benefit – academically, socially, and developmentally – when they are in school in person. Because of the prioritization of attendance, every day, by the VDOE and by educators across the Commonwealth, Virginia has been recognized as a national leader.”
Virginia is one of 21 states taking part in an effort known as the 50% Challenge to reduce chronic absence by half. The state has set clear targets for reduction and is among only six states that factor chronic absence into their school accountability systems.
Chronic absenteeism refers to students missing 10 percent or more of the academic year—about 18 days out of a standard 180-day calendar—for any reason. The issue became more pronounced during extended pandemic-related school closures.
The approach taken by Virginia includes identifying which students are missing significant amounts of class time and determining why they are absent so targeted interventions can be developed. Strategies have included investing over $418 million into high-intensity tutoring programs, implementing literacy initiatives such as the Virginia Literacy Act, hiring attendance specialists, upgrading data systems, improving transportation options for students, working with pediatricians, and collaborating with community partners.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson noted positive results from these combined efforts: “I want to emphasize the tremendous commitment by parents, teachers, and community members to help Virginia students find their way back to school. The results of these collective efforts represent 1,276,522 fewer absent days and an increase of nearly 9 million hours of student learning time,” said Gullickson. “Virginia’s unified approach, anchored by the ALL In VA initiative, has been critical in reducing chronic absenteeism and more good news is around the corner. We will continue building on this momentum until every student is back to school and consistently back to learning.”
State officials say they plan to continue expanding proven strategies using real-time data from a new statewide attendance dashboard while strengthening partnerships with families and communities.
A related event hosted by AEI—a partner organization with Attendance Works—will feature Superintendent Gullickson discussing ongoing efforts nationwide aimed at cutting chronic absenteeism rates over five years.
