Equity
Three Groups, One Number: The 21% Ceiling
Black, economically disadvantaged, and disabled students all hit 21% chronic absenteeism in NJ, converging from different peaks.
New Jersey Education News & Data
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Charter Schools
New Jersey's Charter Schools Have Higher Chronic Absence Rates, but the Averages Hide a Deeper Story
NJ charter districts average 16.7% chronic absenteeism vs. 12.8% for traditional districts, but half of all charters beat the state average.
District Spotlight
Newark Cut Chronic Absenteeism by More Than Half
Newark's chronic absenteeism dropped from 26.8% to 11.5%, falling below the state average while 87% of NJ districts remain above pre-COVID levels.
District Spotlight
Paterson's Black Students Trail Every Group in Attendance Recovery
Black chronic absenteeism in Paterson hit 45.9% in 2023-24, still 10.7 points above pre-COVID levels and 4x the statewide white rate.
Absence
Only 1 in 8 NJ Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
New Jersey's chronic absenteeism rate has improved since its 2022 peak, but just 12.9% of districts have returned to pre-pandemic levels. The gap is widest in urban districts.
Absence
New Jersey's Attendance Recovery Stalls at 43%
NJ chronic absenteeism dropped from 18.1% to 14.9% since 2022, but 172 districts are worse than their pandemic peak and 47 keep getting worse every year.
Absence
Kindergarten Crossed the Line High School Never Did
COVID pushed NJ kindergarten chronic absenteeism past high school. Two years later, K is still 5.8 points above baseline while high school nearly back.
