The Morning: School absences have ‘exploded’

Plus, Sam Bankman-Fried's sentencing, four presidents in New York City and Beyoncé.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 29, 2024 SUPPORTED BY Good morning. We're covering a crisis of school absenteeism — as well as Sam Bankman-Fried's sentencing, four presidents in New York City and Beyoncé's new album. Kaylee Greenlee for The New York Times Empty classrooms By Sarah Mervosh An education reporter A few years ago, a troubling phenomenon began to spread in U.S. education: Students were not showing up to school. This was not particularly surprising. Schools had shut down in the spring of 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and some did not fully reopen until fall 2021. Quarantines for Covid symptoms and exposures were still common. It would take time, many thought, to re-establish daily routines. What is surprising is how little the numbers have budged since, an issue my colleague Francesca Paris and I explore in depth in a new article published today. Before the pandemic, about 15 percent of U.S. students were chronically absent, which typically means missing 18 days of the school year, for any reason. By the 2021-22 school year, that number had skyrocketed to 28 percent of students. Last school year, the most recent for which national estimates are available, it held stubbornly at 26 percent. In interviews, many educators say the problem is continuing this school year. Perhaps most strikingly, absenteeism has increased across demographic groups, according to research by Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Students are missing more school in districts rich and poor, big and small. Source: Upshot analysis of data from Nat Malkus, AEI | By The New York Times Even the length of school closures during the pandemic was not a particularly useful predictor of absenteeism. On average, districts that were closed longest have experienced similar increases as those that opened sooner. What is going on here? I spoke with school leaders, counselors, researchers and parents. They offered many reasons for the absences: illness, mental health, transportation problems. But underlying it all is a fundamental shift in the value that families place on school, and in the culture of education during the pandemic. "Our relationship with school became optional," said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor at Duke University. A cultural shift To some degree, this is a problem facing society at large since the pandemic. Anyone who works in an office with a flexible remote-work policy will be familiar with the feeling: You diligently show up, but your co-workers aren't there. What's the point? In Victoria, Texas.  Kaylee Greenlee for The New York Times Something similar may be going on in schools. Though school buildings are open, classes are in person and sports and other extracurricular activities are back in full, the stability of school seems to have shifted. For one thing, teachers are also missing more school, often because of professional burnout or child care challenges — or because, since the pandemic, more people are actually staying home when they're sick. Some schools have kept their pandemic policies around online class work, giving the illusion that in-person attendance is not necessary. And widespread absenteeism means less stability about which friends and classmates will be there. This can beget more absenteeism. For example, research has found that when 10 percent of a student's classmates are absent on a given day, that student is nearly 20 percent more likely to be absent the following day. "We are seeing disengagement spreading," said Michael A. Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied this issue. Sign of other problems This cultural shift is not simply a hit to perfect attendance records. The share of students missing many days of school helps explain why U.S. students, overall, are nowhere close to making up their learning losses from the pandemic. Students who are behind academically may resist going to school, but missing school also sets them further back. These effects are especially pernicious for low-income students, who lost more ground during the pandemic and who are more negatively affected by chronic absence. A high school in Anchorage. Ash Adams for The New York Times Absenteeism is also closely linked to other challenges schools have faced since the pandemic, including a rise in student anxiety and behavioral problems. "The pandemic increased stress in every way in our lives, but it really embedded ourselves in our stress response system — fight, flight or freeze," Dr. Rosanbalm, the Duke psychologist, said. An increase in behavioral problems in schools is an example of the "fight" response, she said. On the other hand, she added, "flight is absenteeism." For more: A tool in our article lets you see the absenteeism numbers for public school districts in most states. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Daily Cash back. Without limits. Earn up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on every Apple Card purchase. See how it adds up. Apply now THE LATEST NEWS Bankman-Fried Sentencing Sam Bankman-Fried in Manhattan last year. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency mogul convicted of stealing billions from customers, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentence is among the longest imposed on a white-collar defendant in recent years. Bankman-Fried was also ordered to forfeit about $11 billion in assets. Politics Barack Obama, President Biden and Bill Clinton. Doug Mills/The New York Times Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined President Biden for a fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Biden also gathered major donors privately. Donald Trump was also in New York City yesterday. He attended a wake for a police officer who was killed this week during a traffic stop. A Republican operative who accused Matt Schlapp, the head of a major conservative advocacy group, of groping him dropped his lawsuit after receiving a $480,000 settlement. Baltimore Bridge Collapse Workers began clearing debris and dismantling the wreckage in an attempt to reopen the port. A 1,000-ton crane, the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, will help. How hard did the container ship Dali strike the bridge? Calculations show it could have had the same force as a rocket launch. The disaster killed six men who were immigrants from Latin America. It has shaken Baltimore's Hispanic community. War in Ukraine Evan Gershkovich's parents, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich. Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for a year. Read an interview with his parents. Vladimir Putin dismissed claims that Russia planned to invade other countries but warned nations against hosting warplanes meant for Ukraine. If the U.S. abandons Ukraine, that would embolden China to move against Taiwan, Taiwan's foreign minister said. Climate The last two coal-fired power plants in New England are set to close. New England will be the second region in the U.S., after the Pacific Northwest, to stop burning coal. Garbage dumps release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, at higher rates than previously estimated, a study found. Other Big Stories In San Diego. Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times A judge is expected to rule on whether the U.S. government must provide shelter and food to migrant children as they wait in outdoor holding areas. In California, a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, America's highest, is about to take effect. Lawsuits accuse two county jails in Michigan of banning in-person family visits for inmates as a way to bolster revenue through phone calls and messages. An 8-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a bus crash in South Africa that killed 45. The bus fell off a bridge and burst into flames. Opinions The Supreme Court is "traditionalist," meaning justices interpret the Constitution by enduring political and cultural norms, Marc De Girolami argues. Antiracism is commendable in art. At universities, it can distort curiosity, John McWhorter writes. Here are columns by David Brooks on the rise and fall of liberalism and David French on minors using social media. For readers of The Morning, enjoy exceptional savings for a limited time. Take advantage of the complete Times experience with our sale. Save on your first year of unlimited access to news, Games, Cooking and more. Subscribe now. MORNING READS Clockwise, from top left: Valentin Jeck; courtesy of Bukowskis; courtesy of Zanotta SpA - Italy; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh/Art Resource, NY © ARS, NY; Ellen McDermott © Smithsonian Institution; Herman Miller Archives; Vitra Accent chair: See the most influential pieces of furniture from the last 100 years. Hilarity and wonder: Meta's glasses are becoming artificially intelligent. We tried them. Dogs: A German breeding bill could lead to bans for the beloved Dachshund. Modern Love: "How I learned to trust (some) men." Lives Lived: Linda Bean was a granddaughter of L.L. Bean. She used her wealth to support right-wing causes and politicians, to amass paintings and properties associated with the Wyeth art family and to become an entrepreneur in her mid-60s. She died at 82. SPORTS March Madness: Alabama upset the No. 1 seed North Carolina to reach its first men's Elite Eight in 20 years. M.L.B.: Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hoped the league's investigation into the gambling allegations surrounding Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter would be "short." N.H.L.: A Russian hockey player is expected to finally come to North America after being drafted nearly nine years ago. During the wait, he was arrested and forced into military service. U.S. Soccer: Korbin Albert, a rising star, apologized yesterday after Megan Rapinoe criticized anti-L.G.B.T.Q. content that Albert had reposted on social media. Caitlin Clark: The Iowa star was among the 14 players selected for Team USA's training camp in Cleveland. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Daily Cash back. Without limits. Earn up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on every Apple Card purchase. See how it adds up. Apply now ARTS AND IDEAS Beyoncé James Devaney/GC Images, via Getty Images A new album: Beyoncé has gone country. Her just-released album, "Cowboy Carter," has plucked banjos, lines about hoedowns and cameos from Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. But "that's only the half of it," Ben Sisario writes. The 27-track album is a tour of popular music with a Beatles cover and features from Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. "The album's range suggests a broad essay on contemporary pop music, and on the nature of genre itself," Sisario adds. Read more about the album. More on culture Metro Boomin Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV The music producer Metro Boomin helped shape rap over the last decade. Next week, he is poised to claim his fourth No. 1 album. Here's a guide to his music. Alessandro Michele, the designer who brought profits and plenty of buzz to Gucci, was named creative director of Valentino. Seth Meyers joked about Trump Media's stock. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Roast salmon with peas and radishes for a quick dinner. Jog with these strollers. 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