The graph displays the percentage of teachers with fewer than 10 absences in a school year.

Teacher attendance is a “leading indicator” of student achievement, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Teachers with regular attendance provide continuity of instruction and attention to individual students. The National Bureau of Economic Research has shown that when teachers are absent for 10 days or more, student outcomes decrease significantly. Teacher absence results in loss of instruction time for students, as well as financial concerns to the district when substitutes must be employed.

• Roll Call: The Importance of Teacher Attendance

• Teacher Absence as a Leading Indicator of Student Achievement

• Report: Teacher Absenteeism Can Hurt Student Achievement

• 1 in 4 U.S. Teachers are Chronically Absent (Washington Post)

• Office of Civil Rights Data Collection