L.A. Unified Sees ‘Major Gains' in Fight Against Chronic Absenteeism
The district made progress this year with the tricky challenge, Carvalho said during the home visit last month, but officials could not say how much progress was made exactly in reducing chronic absenteeism, defined as missing more than ten percent of the school year.
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter
'Our approach is we support, we're not about penalizing,' said Carvalho of the strategy being employed in getting chronically absent kids to class. 'Two years ago, we were in a different position … [but] conditions have improved dramatically.'
Carvalho said the number of chronically absent students is slowly dropping closer to pre-pandemic levels, in part because of the district's push to personalize its efforts to bring individual students to class, with well-known tactics like his house visits.
Los Angeles isn't the only place struggling with persistent attendance issues. A study from the American Enterprise Institute found that chronic absenteeism nationwide rose over 10% from 2019 to 2024, peaking in 2022 at 28% of students.
The same report said the national percentage of students with good attendance fell sharply between 2019 and 2023, compounding the problem.
More and more research, in fact, is suggesting that higher levels of chronically absent students could become the new normal.
In L.A., chronic absenteeism remains a problem. At the beginning of the school year, nearly one-third of all students in the nation's second-largest district were missing class enough to be deemed chronically absent.
That's an improvement from the years following the COVID-19 shutdowns in the district, when nearly half of all students were chronically absent, the worst the problem ever got in LA Unified's history.
Carvalho said it's gotten better because he and the district's attendance team got personal in their approach, tailoring efforts to individual families, and knocking on the doors where kids had repeatedly missed school.
Attendance counselors, school principals, and sometimes Carvalho himself have visited with thousands of families personally each school year since then, and talked to parents about why their kids are missing class.
They offer solutions, like free busing or new school uniforms, or whatever could help. The tactic is a standard tool for LAUSD, one that Carvalho and district attendance workers and officials trumpet as a reason for their success.
But chronic absenteeism has been a serious problem for years in L.A. More than 32% of L.A. Unified students were considered chronically absent for the 2023-2024 school year, the latest year for which the data exists.
That's well above the historic norms, but still an improvement from the abysmal previous years. Los Angeles Unified had 36% of students consistently missing class in 2022-2023, and just over 45% of students in 2021-22.
Fallout from COVID-19 remains the main thing parents and educators blame for the historically high numbers.
During Carvalho's last at-home visit of the year, the mother of a chronically absent student said that since the pandemic she's been confused over when to keep her sick home from class.
At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Carvalho said annual incremental gains will be how the district digs itself out.
That plan appears to be working, he said in May, with last year seeing a dip and district officials expecting 2024 to have even lower numbers.
LAUSD officials told the LA School Report that chronic absenteeism data for the 2024-2025 school year has not been finalized, so they could not quantify the gains.
Still, Rudy Gomez, the director of iAttend, LAUSD's district-wide attendance program, said in an interview that the district has made progress fighting chronic absenteeism.
'We have had some significant gains in chronic absenteeism, although we still have a lot of work to do,' said Gomez. 'But we've seen some major gains, all across the board.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reviving a town with traditional building skills
Young people in a quiet corner of southern Scotland are restoring the area's crumbling buildings by learning traditional craft skills. Their latest project tackled a centuries-old property on Whithorn's High Street which lay roofless and derelict for decades. Building Futures Galloway (BFG) teaches at-risk skills like stone masonry while providing employment for young people from rural communities. The scheme emerged after the Covid pandemic when traditional industries like restaurants were still recovering. Behind the scaffolding and stonework are 10 young people gaining hands-on experience. Adam Molyneux, 22, has been with the team since the start. He was on universal credit and struggling to find permanent work when he joined BFG. "I hadn't had a real job before, to be honest," he said. Adam said the craft role has built both his confidence and practical skills, all while earning the real living wage. "I have ADHD, so I'm not very good with doing the same repetitive task all day long," he said. Instead the variety of hands-on work, fixing walls and building roofs keeps Adam focused and engaged. He added that locals stop by with a smile to look at the building. "I think everybody's quite happy with what we're doing," he said. "It does kind of feel like my own village and nice to think that we're helping the town come back to what it used be." BFG has seen 20 trainees through its ranks but the team has also trained more than 120 pupils from the nearby Douglas Ewart High School in Newton Stewart since 2021. Volunteer Julia Muir Watt said the project "joins up the dots" linking young people who need opportunities with buildings that are in dire need of repair. "There is often a skill shortage in rural areas when it comes to 'heritage skills'," she said. "That area is really needing new young recruits." Lead skills trainer Shaun Thomson agrees. He lives in Whithorn and said the area had a particular need due to the high number of listed buildings. "You struggle to get a tradesperson who can use traditional skills to make the correct choices in the repair and the maintenance of the building," he said. "It's very important for the area, the buildings, to look after them, but also to pass on the skills because there'll be a time where you won't have anybody who can pass them on." Historic Environment Scotland - which provided funding for building restoration in Whithorn - has previously highlighted the need for endangered traditional skills. "Scotland needs to scale up its training opportunities in heritage skills as demand is rising rapidly due to the need to repair and retrofit traditional buildings," it said in March. "Around 71% of traditionally-built housing in Scotland is in need of critical repair." It estimates 10,000 new jobs are needed over the next decade to do that work. One of those buildings in need of critical repair was 9 High Street. It had no roof, no back wall, wobbly chimneys, even a tree growing from the roof. "From our point of view it offered every single skill that you could wish for if you're going to train in traditional buildings," said Julia. The project recycled material on site and used traditional materials like lime and local greywacke sandstone. The roof was made from local timber and squared using "medieval axe techniques". "There are only about 360 traditional masons left in Scotland, which is a tiny number when you think of our vast numbers of stone buildings," Julia said. Work is already under way on the team's next project repairing Whithorn's old town hall. Hazel Smith, a chartered architect and a 20-year Whithorn resident, called the repairs fantastic. "It was such an eyesore on the streetscape and I know the neighbours had a terrible time with the water ingress into their house," she said. "I think people are just delighted to see these old buildings being cared for and nurtured in the right manner with knowing that they've got the skilled workforce working on them and that they've got a future." Positive impact All of which, Julia said, provided a "good example of how young people can be seen positively rather than negatively in a local community". In return, they get meaningful work which encourages them to stay and help revive a rural area. "I think I'd just like to keep going along with it and I think we also want to start trying to train other young people to keep these crafts going," said Adam. "The long-term goal of this project is to keep these traditional crafts alive." More stories like this Breaking down walls in the world of bricklaying
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Newsweek
She's the Last of 10 Rescued Dogs—5 Years On, Still Waiting for a Home
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. For five years, pit bull mix Jackie has been waiting for a home of her own. Her story began on July 20, 2020, when she arrived at Babylon Animal Shelter in Amityville, New York, as part of a court case that removed 10 dogs from an abusive household. The owner was charged with animal cruelty, and all 10 dogs—including Jackie—were surrendered to the shelter. But sadly, the 6-year-old pup has been waiting in the shelter since. Described as stubbornly sweet, quirky and heartbreakingly loyal, Jackie loves to try and sit on laps and be close to people. "She missed being that critical time of being properly socialized in the beginning of her life," Iga from Babylon Animal Shelter told Newsweek. "She has learned positive behaviors at the shelter, but we cannot create a home environment for her." Jackie the dog, who has spent almost her entire life in a shelter. Jackie the dog, who has spent almost her entire life in a shelter. Babylon Animal Shelter Jackie's long wait is partly due to timing. She arrived during COVID-19 lockdowns, which delayed her adoption eligibility by six months. By the time her case was resolved, the early pandemic wave of adoptions had waned. And then there's the matter of Jackie's temperament—while deeply affectionate with humans, she needs to be the only pet in her home. "She did have two very short-lived adoptions. One was 24 hours; she urinated in the house and was brought back," Iga said. "Second was the same story and lasted 12 days. In both cases what Jackie would need was clearly explained but, in the end, neither gave her a true chance." In 2024, U.S. shelters saw a net increase of 103,000 animals, with more pets entering than leaving, according to Shelter Animals Count. Compared to 2019, total intakes remain about 11 percent lower, but the imbalance between intake and outcomes continues to strain shelter resources. Like Jackie, there are lots of dogs waiting for homes in shelters across the country, and while 2024 saw a 1.6 percent decrease in non-live outcomes from 2023, there were still 748,000 animals in shelters that died as a result of euthanasia, death in care or being lost in care. Jackie's ideal home would be one with no other pets and adults or older children only as she hasn't been exposed to small children before. Although Iga clarified: "I do not want this to appear as she does not like them, we just do not know and try to always approach children in the home responsibly." Her adopter should have time to help her adjust and teach her how to be a dog outside a kennel. A fenced yard would be ideal, and somewhere she can sunbathe and chase soccer balls—her favorite things to do—would be perfect. Jackie is available as a foster or to adopt, and anyone interested should contact the Babylon Animal Shelter in Amityville, New York.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
LAUSD test scores hit a new high, erasing pandemic lows with a second year of strong gains
Los Angeles schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho delivers his opening-of-schools address at Disney Concert Hall in 2023. He gives his updated annual report at the concert hall on Tuesday. After years of struggling to recover from deep pandemic setbacks, Los Angeles Unified students have achieved a 'new high watermark,' with math and English scores rising across all tested grades for the second straight year, surpassing results from before the 2020 campus closures, Supt. Alberto Carvalho said. Two years of incremental gains at every tested grade level is generally considered solid evidence that instruction is moving in the right direction, said Carvalho along with education experts. 'The coolest thing is that the district, despite all that this community went through, has now reached the highest-ever performance at all levels in English language arts and math,' Carvalho said in an interview with The Times. He is to announce the results Tuesday during his annual address to administrators and guests at Disney Concert Hall. Advertisement 'We didn't just take it back to pre-pandemic levels. We exceeded pre-pandemic levels of performance,' he said to The Times. 'We established a new high watermark.' Morgan Scott Polikoff, a professor at USC's Rossier School of Education described the gains as 'indeed impressive and seem to have, in most cases, more than erased losses attributable to the pandemic ... This is an important development and the district should be proud of it.' Nonetheless, overall results show that achievement — as measured by test scores — in the nation's second-largest school system remains a work-in-progress. Advertisement 'Large proportions of students in the district, especially students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, are still performing below state standard,' Polikoff said. In total, 46.5% of students met or exceeded grade level standards in English Language Arts in tests conducted in April and May. In math, the figure was 36.7%. The overall numbers indicate that nearly two in three students are not meeting the math standards for their grade in the school system of about 400,000 students. Brights spots in the scores But scores look better in the details. In math, for example, scores rose 3.92 percentage points, a strong gain for one year. Last year, the gain was 2.3 percentage points — also a solid gain — bringing L.A. Unified, at the time, to within 2.7 points of the entire state. It's possible that L.A. Unified overtook the state average this year in math — although statewide data has yet to be released. Advertisement This year's gains appeared to be across the board — reaching students with disabilities, students from low-income families, Latino students and Black students. As a group, Black students rose at least four percentage points in both English and math. Nonetheless, three in four Black students still are not achieving grade-level standards in math. The number is better but still low for reading, with 36% of Black students meeting or exceeding the state standards for their grade. In its preliminary release of data, the district did not include scores for white and Asian students, so it was not possible to evaluate the extent to which the district is closing the achievement gap between these students and Black and Latino students. The gap remained substantial last year. Data from this parameter would be important to examine, said UC Berkeley emeritus professor of education Bruce Fuller. All the same, 'this post-COVID bounceback in student learning is quicker and reaching higher levels than observed in most school districts across the state.' Fuller also attributed success to the district's long-term efforts — scores had been gradually improving before the pandemic. Advertisement 'Public schools have successfully lifted the education attainment of Angeleno parents in recent decades, which helps explain their children's stronger success in school,' he said. Carvalho told The Times that the most recent scores — which reflect tests taken in the spring — were especially impressive in context. In anticipating the results, 'I had fear in my heart to a certain extent,' he said. 'You know the disruptions. We had to shut down the system because of the inclement conditions, some of it weather, but some of it smoke, ash and all that as a result of fires. And then the immigration raids. The stress. The fears.' 'This was a year without precedent for us,' he said. The longest disruption was in March 2020, when L.A. Unified campuses were shut down for more than a year during the pandemic, forcing classes online. That long-running public health emergency — during a time of job losses, disease and higher death rates — demonstrably drove down student performance on the standardized tests. Carvalho became superintendent in February of 2022. During the more recent crises, students and staff have largely soldiered through with better outcomes. A slide prepared for Carvalho's Disney Hall presentation touted the gains as the 'Highest-Ever Achievement.' Advertisement What that means is that, overall, L.A. Unified has never performed better as measured by the current state testing system, which began collecting data in 2015. L.A. Unified also had not previously improved across all grades for two years in a row, district officials said, during the 11 years of the current testing regime. Students are tested in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11 in English and math. In science, student are tested in grades 5 and 8, and once during high school. In these relatively new science tests, scores remain especially low, although they improved. Overall, 27.3% of students met the state standards in science. What contributed to the gains The testing rebound was helped by record levels of state and federal funding to cope with the harms of the pandemic. Carvalho, whose contract expires next February, said that the district used the one-time money effectively and, although it is gone, the system in place should continue to build on the academic gains. He listed a number of key initiatives as contributing to gains, such as giving more resources and applying more oversight to schools and groups of students that needed more help. He also cited better data and an ability to use it faster to tailor instruction. Tutoring — before, during and after school, and in-person and online — was a central strategy. So was increasing classroom instructional time by promoting summer school and offering mini-academies during winter and spring break, he said. Advertisement Intervention teachers were deployed to work with small groups of students and coaches helped refine teaching. Some of these efforts pre-dated Carvalho's arrival from Miami, where he had been the longtime superintendent. Challenges ahead The challenges ahead involve more than improving the quality and pace of learning. 'One of my biggest concerns is really the unpredictability of the moment in which we live, the instability of funding, but also the unpredictability and instability of policy that influences public education,' Carvalho said. California Revised LAUSD budget saves jobs today, trims future retiree health benefit contributions The L.A. school board approved an $18.8 billion budget that postpones layoffs for a year and does not cut services to students. But future years may looking much different. The U.S. Supreme Court recently cleared the path for massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education, as one example. 'What does that really mean in terms of at the local level for a student?' Carvalho said. In addition, enrollment has declined steadily for about 20 years. Ongoing immigration enforcement could accelerate that trend, Carvalho said. 'We have a very large number of immigrant students, or students who are children of immigrant parents with mixed status,' Carvalho said. 'I have to believe, based on stories I read and reports that I watch, that there will be families, unfortunately, in our community, who have made a decision to self -deport with their children.'
