Rebuilding Connections Post-COVID: The Importance of School Belonging for Addressing Absenteeism

Trends in absenteeism, along with the associations between school belonging and absenteeism, were examined for students in Columbus City Schools in Franklin County, Ohio. Columbus City Schools is Ohio’s largest school district and one of the 100 largest school districts in the United States. Columbus City Schools is an urban district which serves over 45,000 students who speak over 95 languages and come from over 100 countries. For the purposes of this study, we used administrative records from the 2022-2023 school year along with student surveys from Panorama Education (2016). Panorama surveys were administered in the fall and spring to all students in the district between grades 3 and 12, unless their families opted out of the survey. Students 18 or older could opt themselves out of completing the survey. Schools in the district use data from Panorama to identify new programs to improve students’ educational experiences.  

For our descriptive portrait of absenteeism, we use the full population of third through 12th grade students served in Columbus City Schools who received primarily in-person instruction (n = 35,769). Then, for analyses that consider school belonging (described in more detail below) and the links between school belonging and absenteeism, we focus on a subset of 13,810 students between grades 3 and 12 from 113 schools who completed Panorama surveys in both the fall and spring.

The racial/ethnic composition of all third through 12th grade students in the district and the study subsample are presented in Figure 1. Despite minor differences between the two samples, roughly: 50% of students were Black, 20% were White, 20% were Hispanic, 5% were multiracial, 5% Asian, and less than 1% other. 

Additionally, approximately 1 in 6 students received Limited English Proficiency services in both the district and study sample. Moreover, roughly 1 in 6 students in the district and 1 in 7 students in the study subsample had an Individualized Education Plan. 

School belonging was assessed with four questions on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 5 = completely/a tremendous amount). Three of the questions were the same across all grades:  

1. How well do people at your school understand you as a person?  
2. How much respect do students at your school show you?  
3. Overall, how much do you feel like you belong at your school? 

The fourth question was asked slightly differently depending on grade level. Students in grades 3 to 5 were asked, “How much support do the adults at your school give you?” In contrast, students between grades 6 to 12 were asked “How connected do you feel to the adults at your school?”

Administrative records provided information on student enrollment along with the number of minutes students were absent for either excused (e.g., illness, medical appointments, and religious absences) or unexcused reasons. Based on this information, we also created an indicator for chronic absenteeism and the total number of absences (i.e., either excused or unexcused absences). 

These data were used to: 

• Describe current patterns in school absenteeism and sense of school belonging, both overall and separately by grade level. 
• Assess how students’ sense of belonging at the start of the year and changes in their sense of belonging throughout the school year relate to their school absenteeism. 
• Determine whether the links between school belonging and absenteeism differ between elementary, middle, and high school students. 

To address our first question, we examined the patterns in absenteeism and school belonging, both overall and separately by grade level. To answer questions 2 and 3, we estimated a series of regression models that controlled for student characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, receipt of English language services) as well as the school and grade in which students were enrolled. 

The full population of students between grades 3 and 12 missed an average of 23% of school days, which amounts to approximately 40 days. Notably, over 75% of these absences were unexcused, and 65% of students were identified as chronically absent, indicating they missed at least 10% of instructional time. These rates of chronic absenteeism are roughly 2.6 times higher than national averages for the same year (Malkus, 2024).

 As can be seen in Figure 2, when examining these trends by grade levels, we find that: 

• In elementary school, students missed roughly 16% of school days, with 69% of absences being unexcused. Additionally, 51% of students in elementary school were classified as chronically absent. 
• In middle school, the absence rate increased to 22% of the school year, with 78% of absences being unexcused. Approximately 63% of students in middle school were chronically absent. 
• In high school, students demonstrated the highest rates of school absences, with students missing 31% of school days and 85% of absences being unexcused. Overall, 77% of students in high school were classified as chronically absent. 

In the fall, students demonstrated moderate levels of school belonging, with an average score of roughly 3.38 on a 1-to-5 scale. By spring, this average slightly but significantly decreased to 3.31. 

As can be seen in Figure 3, when examining the data by grade level, we find that: 

• Elementary school students exhibited higher levels of school belonging than older students in both fall and spring. However, there was a decline in their sense of belonging across the year. 

• In middle school, students showed lower levels of belonging compared with elementary school students in the fall, and this trend continued into the spring. Middle school students also experienced a decline in school belonging across the year. 

• In high school, students had the lowest levels of belonging in the fall. However, by spring, their levels of belonging increased slightly, eliminating the gap between middle (but not elementary) and high school students.

Students with a stronger sense of school belonging at the start of the year were less likely to be absent for both excused and unexcused reasons. Students who reported greater improvements in school belonging over the year also had fewer unexcused but not excused absences. Similar patterns emerged when considering chronic absenteeism as the outcome. Students with a high initial sense of belonging (one standard deviation above the mean) and greater improvements throughout the year (one standard deviation above the mean) missed three fewer days of school and were seven percentage points less likely to be chronically absent.

Although school belonging matters for all students’ school absences, the associations between students’ initial levels of school belonging and absenteeism were larger for middle and high school students relative to elementary school students (see Figure 4 for an illustration of chronic absenteeism differences). In other words, the absenteeism gap between elementary, middle, and high school students was smaller when students reported higher levels of school belonging. For example, at low levels of school belonging, the gap in chronic absenteeism between elementary and high school students was roughly 20 percentage points, but this gap was reduced to approximately 15 percentage when sense of belonging was high. Despite these grade-level differences for initial levels of school belonging, no differences emerged for changes in school belonging across the year.

When taken together, the results of this brief highlight the trends in school absenteeism and school belonging among students in Columbus City Schools along with the role of school belonging in addressing absenteeism in a post-COVID educational context. Although addressing school absenteeism is a complex issue, enhancing students’ sense of belonging represents one promising lever that is at least partially within the control of school leaders and staff. Based on these findings, it is critical that researchers and policymakers understand the school supports needed to promote school belonging and curb absenteeism. We also offer several recommendations for practitioners:

By measuring students’ sense of school belonging periodically throughout the school year, we can better understand how students’ connections change across the year. This information can help educators better understand when students might feel less connected, allowing them to address issues before it is too late and implement more timely interventions. Doing so is important because an environment that more consistently promotes feelings of belonging also encourages more regular school attendance.

By creating a more inclusive environment, where all students feel valued regardless of their background, beliefs, or identity, educators can help them feel safer and more welcome at school. It is also important to ensure that students see themselves reflected in their schools and know they are represented, as research shows this increases their likelihood of demonstrating a greater sense of belonging (Graham et al., 2022) and attending school more regularly (Gottfried et al., 2021). Studies also demonstrate that creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is especially important for students who identify with socially vulnerable groups (Kosciw et al., 2012). Taking these steps is crucial because, as our study shows, even after controlling for key demographic factors related to both belonging and absenteeism, students who demonstrate a stronger sense of belonging are more likely to attend school more regularly.

By providing different types of extracurriculars such as arts, sports, and academic clubs, schools can better meet the needs and interests of different student groups. These activities can provide students with opportunities to build friendships and feel more connected to their schools (O’Donnell et al., 2024). Specific learning activities within the classroom, particularly activities that require more engagement and interaction between students and teachers, can also promote senses of belonging (Bouchard & Berg, 2017). Just as importantly, involving students in the decision-making for these activities and providing them with opportunities to take a role in the development of these opportunities can further enhance feelings of belonging (Bouchard & Berg, 2017). As the results of this brief show, a greater sense of belonging can result in fewer school absences.

By focusing on developing strong, supportive relationships between students and staff, schools can create an environment where students feel more motivated to succeed. Research shows that students who receive greater support from their teachers, including care, encouragement, and respect, demonstrate a stronger sense of school belonging (Allen et al., 2018) and are less likely to be absent (Ansari et al., 2024). One way to strengthen these relationships is through personalized support that addresses both students’ academic and social-emotional needs. When teachers take a more personalized approach, they can have more meaningful conversations with students about their interests and challenges, resulting in closer relationships (Bouchard & Berg, 2017). Providing supports to teachers to enable them to develop relationships is also key. Research has shown that teachers who are less stressed, have high job satisfaction, and greater support from administrators are also better able to develop positive relationships with their students (Wentzel, 2016).

Given our findings that school belonging drops between elementary and secondary school, and it plays a particularly strong role in mitigating absences in later grades, it is essential to focus efforts on maintaining and enhancing belonging as students transition to secondary school. Mentorship programs – both in a one-on-one setting as well as in a group setting – is a promising strategy to increase a sense of belonging (Holt et al., 2008; Kuperminc et al., 2019). At the heart of the feeling of sense of belonging is the sense of school connectedness, and interventions encouraging students to care for one another, such as intervening when a student is being bullied, can positively impact this connectedness and sense of belonging for secondary school students (Midgett & Doumas, 2019). Additionally, implementing school-based instructional interventions that focus on developing positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, and achievement goals can be an effective lever for improving students’ sense of belonging (Shoshani et al., 2016). Early and consistent support is needed to ensure students maintain their higher levels of belonging as they transition from elementary to middle school.