The State of Oregon is partnering with school districts and education service districts across the state to reduce chronic student absenteeism. Chronic Absenteeism is different from traditional concepts like truancy or delinquency, and aims to capture all absences from all causes. The wide net is important since a high number of absences can negatively impact the likelihood of graduation, whether from regular school-skipping, poverty-driven causes, or a single medical event.
KBOO reporter Sam Bouman sat down on Tuesday with Paul Berg of the Multnomah Education Service District, and Kenan Ginsberg, an attendance specialist with the David Douglas School District, to talk about state and local efforts to improve school attendance rates.
A shorter version of this interview aired on the KBOO Evening News for September 20, 2018.
- KBOO