Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

David Weintraub

Abstract

AbstractChronic absenteeism is a problem in an urban school district in Virginia. This problem not only affects the staff and administrators, but it also affects the surrounding communities, students, and parents. The purpose of the study was to the investigate the perceptions of teachers and administrators in the local school district regarding students’ chronic absenteeism. Bowen’s family system theory comprised the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on the perceptions of Grade K-12 teachers and administrators about the causes of chronic absenteeism in the local district and their views of the effectiveness of methods that have been used to reduce it. An exploratory qualitative case study was used to capture the insights of the 14 participants, through questionnaires and surveys containing questions about chronic absenteeism and student behaviors. The project study involved collecting data from individuals who had been teaching or in an administration position for 3 or more years. Underlying causes of chronic absenteeism can range from homelessness to students not being motivated or engaged in school. The study revealed that there is a need for an effective plan to reduce the number of students who are not attending school. The results of the study may benefit all stakeholders in the district, the students who are missing excessive days, the parents who may not know how to obtain the necessary help to assist their students, and the surrounding communities who are being negatively impacted by an abundance of students making bad decisions when they should be in school. Creating an active and effective plan to decrease the number of students missing school daily will impact positive social change by decreasing the number of students who miss school and assisting school districts with meeting Virginia state requirements.

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