School Absenteeism in Children with Disabilities: An Analysis of School Climate and Academic Mindset

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are more likely to be chronically absent than general education peers (Anderson, 2021; Gee, 2018, U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Etiology for SWDs is complex with influencing factors spanning multiple ecological levels, but bolstering protective factors for SWDs may address attendance disparities. Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) models have the potential to address absenteeism in SWDs via school-wide preventative and/or intervention efforts (Tier 1 & 2) aimed at increasing or decreasing influencing factors in students with disabilities. School climate and academic mindset may influence students with disabilities’ attendance. The purpose of the present study was to inform equitable and inclusive MTSS models by identifying influencing factors on school absenteeism for SWDs. The study aimed to (1) identify school climate and academic mindset factors that were linearly related to chronic absenteeism in students with disabilities and (2) identify differences in school climate and academic mindset variables between students with and without disabilities across age groups.