The Effects Of Unexcused Absences And Excused Absences On Mathematics And Reading Performance Of Eighth Grade Students

Many factors may impact a student’s performance on examinations. Factors such as appropriate academic preparation, psychological disposition, and social conditions all contribute to a student’s success or failure on examinations. This empirical study investigated the effects of unexcused absences and excused absences, as well as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status on the mathematics and reading achievement scores of eighth grade students, as measured by the mathematics and reading sections of Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Correlation and regression analysis were utilized to assess the relationship between these noted independent variables and student performance on math and reading examinations. The participants for this study included a convenience sample of students who in 2013-2014 were enrolled in the eighth grade in the targeted Georgia public school district and were present for the reading and mathematics sections of the CRCT. This study included student demographic data and family socioeconomic status collected from the student information system of the selected Georgia public school district combined with CRCT data results provided to the school district by the Georgia Department of Education. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing awareness of the relationships among types of school absences, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, and academic achievement as determined by test performance in reading and mathematics. Differentiating among unexcused and excused absences will assist educators in determining potential at-risk behavior that impacts student achievement, which could lead to early identification of school or family issues based upon the number of unexcused absences