The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Achievement of Chronically Absent Grade 5 Students

Chronic absenteeism has been shown to be a strong predictor of student achievement. However, there is a lack of research studies that examine if differences exist among chronically absent students in Title I and non-Title I settings. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine if socioeconomic status imparts any additional impacts on the achievement of chronically absent students as measured by the Virginia SOLs. The data collected include achievement data from the Virginia SOLs. A quantitative research design was used to examine, analyze, and compare standardized mathematics, English, and science test scores along with attendance rates of fifth grade students attending both Title I and non-Title I schools in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. The population sample consisted of 170 students enrolled in 19 different elementary schools in a Virginia school district. Three two-way analysis of variances (ANOVAS) were used to analyze the samples. Student achievement data for math, English, and science were examined and results indicated that there was no statistically significant interaction between school setting and student attendance. The conclusion along with limitations and recommendations for future research are reported