Massachusetts Public School Student Attendance Indicators Since 2018

Attendance indicators for students in Massachusetts public schools from the 2018 school year onward. Data is published by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and includes metrics like chronic absenteeism rates. The dataset is updated annually, with the latest metadata from March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in PCT_CHRON_ABS_10 and PCT_CHRON_ABS_20 by DIST_NAME and SY to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chronic absenteeism.
• Compare ATTEND_RATE and PCT_UNEXC_10_DAYS across different STU_GRP categories (e.g., Economically Disadvantaged, English Learners) to identify equity gaps.
• Model school-level factors by joining on ORG_CODE using features like CNT_AVG_ABS and ORG_TYPE to predict high PCT_ABS_10_DAYS.
• Track annual changes in district-level attendance via DIST_CODE and SY for longitudinal policy analysis.

Strengths

• Includes 15 distinct columns covering attendance rates, chronic absenteeism, and student group breakdowns.
• Provides multi-year coverage starting from the 2018 school year, enabling time-series analysis.
• Data is calculated for students enrolled in grades PK-12 with at least 20 days in membership, ensuring a consistent measurement threshold.

Limitations

• Indicator availability is inconsistent across years due to changes in data collection, limiting direct longitudinal comparisons for some metrics.
• The shift in economic disadvantage classification from 'Economically Disadvantaged' to 'Low Income' after 2021 may create breaks in time series for the STU_GRP column.
• Sample size and row count are unknown, preventing assessment of statistical power or granularity.

Provenance

Source

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), published via educationtocareer.data.mass.gov.

Collection Method

Aggregated from administrative records of Massachusetts public schools, calculated for students with at least 20 days in membership.

Time Range

From the 2018 school year onward.

Freshness

Updated annually; metadata indicates a recent update in March 2026.

Geography

Massachusetts, United States, at the district and school level.