School attendance and absenteeism: Towards next‐generation common measurement

Abstract School attendance and absenteeism are critical targets of educational and health‐based policies and practices that often depend heavily on attendance/absenteeism and related construct data. At the same time, the quality of school attendance/absenteeism and related data has come under substantial scrutiny and criticism in recent years, particularly with respect to measurement, utilization, context and interoperability. The development of a common, valid and cost‐effective measure of school attendance/absenteeism to address these limitations would thus be desirable. This article initially provides a brief review and critique of contemporary systemic and analytic measurement strategies related to school attendance/absenteeism and related constructs. Issues of comparability and variability across professional disciplines and countries/regions are raised, along with a suggestion for the formulation of a next‐generation common assessment measure of school attendance/absenteeism and related constructs that emphasizes accessibility and feasibility. A set of principles and possible domains for next‐generation common measurement are then presented. This includes a discussion of dimensionality regarding definition, achievement and engagement, functional impairment, interoperability across multiple sources and agencies, and ease of measurement. Finally, a potential roadmap for item and scale development and evaluation is presented to enhance the utility of a common measure across multiple agencies and areas. The article is not meant to be the final word regarding the measurement of school attendance/absenteeism and related constructs, but rather a potential blueprint for developing a common, brief measure that may be useful and modifiable across multiple agencies, jurisdictions and geographical areas. Context and implications Rationale: Recent changes in education present a unique opportunity to critically reflect and explore new approaches to conceptualizing and thus measuring and utilizing school attendance/absenteeism and domain‐related data. Why this matters: School attendance and absenteeism are critical targets of educational and health‐based policies and practices that often depend heavily on attendance/absenteeism and related construct data. Implications for interest‐holders: A common measure of school attendance/absenteeism must meet not only psychometric standards but also the additional challenge of acceptability to an enormous group of participants with divergent educational, scientific, legal, economic and political views.