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RIPEC Report: Has “Attendance Matters” been Effective on School Absenteeism

February 23, 2026/RINewsToday

Attendance Matters RI appears to have helped drive a sharp improvement in student attendance, reducing chronic absenteeism from its post-pandemic peak and producing one of the largest declines nationwide. However, absenteeism remains a serious concern, with 22.1% of students chronically absent in 2024â€“25 and rates exceeding 40% in some district, state, and charter schools (LEAs).

Differences in student populations help explain variation across communities, but RIPECâ€™s regression analysis suggests local policies also play a significant role. Together, these findings point to a persistent challengeâ€”while the state has provided effective tools, it lacks the authority to ensure effective local implementation.

Key Findings

Since it was launched in November 2023, the Attendance Matters RI campaign has used data-driven initiatives, a robust public messaging campaign, and professional training and guidance for educators to improve chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 10% of school days.

The proportion of students who were chronically absent was 22.1% in 2024-25, a marked improvement from 2021-22 (34.1%) but still greater than pre-pandemic 2018-19 (19.1%).

In 2024-25, 6.7% of students missed at least 20% of school days.

Rhode Island posted the 5th largest decline in chronic absenteeism among reporting states, falling from the 8th highest rate in 2021-22 to 16th in 2023-24. Rhode Islandâ€™s rate was slightly lower than the preliminary U.S. state average in 2024-25 (22.1% vs. 22.7%).

The proposed Attendance for Success Act, which would have required LEAs to follow best practices, failed to advance in 2024 in the General Assembly and was not reintroduced in 2025.

Chronic absenteeism rates ranged from under 5% to over 40% across districts in 2024-25. Non-district LEAs, including charter and state schools, also had a wide range in chronic absenteeism levels.

RIPECâ€™s linear regression model compared each LEAâ€™s actual chronic absenteeism rate with a predicted level based on its student demographics for 2024-25.

Several districts significantly overperformed or underperformed predicted levels. The most extreme cases for districts were Central Fallsâ€”its rate (25.7%) was 10.1 percentage points lower than predictedâ€”and Woonsocketâ€”its rate (41.6%) was 10.7 percentage points higher than predicted. Compared to districts, a greater share of charter and state schools outperformed predicted levels.

Central Falls and Providence outperformed predicted levels and reduced chronic absenteeism rates by more than 20 percentage points from their peak. Both districts implemented initiatives that (1) prioritize attendance in schools and the community, (2) establish clear lines of authority, (3) effectively use data, and (4) establish frequent and partnership-oriented communication with families.

Read the full RIPEC report, HERE – check your city/town: