Date of Conferral

10-26-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Susan Marcus

Abstract

Chronic absenteeism among elementary students, particularly those from low-income and diverse backgrounds, poses a barrier to academic success and long-term well-being. More research is needed to identify effective interventions. This study examined the differences in school attendance rates over 3 school trimesters between two elementary schools in a low-income Midwest district, one utilizing a form of attendance intervention and one that did not. The social determinants of health model and faucet theory were used to guide the choice of variables and analysis plan. A quantitative, ex post facto design, archival attendance data, and repeated-measures MANOVA were used to assess main effects and interaction effects. Analysis revealed that both excused and unexcused absences peaked in Trimester 1, dipped in Trimester 2, and rose again in Trimester 3, with unexcused absences consistently showing the greatest variability. Furthermore, absence distributions were highly positively skewed across all time points, indicating that overall absenteeism metrics were heavily driven by a small subset of chronically absent students. The findings from this study may contribute to positive social impact by informing schools and districts on evidence-based practices that address absenteeism among disadvantaged student populations and provide more tailored, equitable strategies for improving academic participation and outcomes for low-income students.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

 
COinS