Homeless missed most school: data
New York City high school students living in homeless shelters missed nearly one out of every three days of remote classes in January, according to an analysis of new city data that gives the most detailed breakdown yet of pandemic attendance rates.
Tenth-graders who live in shelters saw the lowest attendance rates, logging in just 64% of the time in January — a rate 18% lower than their classmates in stable housing, according to an analysis of Department of Education attendance data from the group Advocates for Children.
Overall, students in shelters attended class 75% of the time in January, 14 percentage points lower than the 89% rate citywide that month, according to the analysis.
“The latest attendance data should spur City Hall and the DOE to action,” said Kim Sweet, AFC’s executive director. “Tens of thousands of students are still struggling to access an education because of the pandemic or are at risk of disconnecting from school entirely.”
Education Department officials released the detailed attendance data — which breaks down numbers by demographic categories including English language learners, students with disabilities, and homeless students — in response to a City Council law mandating more specific numbers.
The data do not distinguish between in-person and remote attendance, which is measured by whether students log onto Zoom sessions or check in with teachers in another way. Only preschool and elementary school students and children with special needs in District 75 schools were attending in-person classes during January, the period advocates analyzed.
Students in shelters have had to contend with spotty or nonexistent internet service, in addition to often-crowded conditions.
Advocates noted that English language learners and students with disabilities had higher absence rates than other students even before the pandemic, but the gaps increased last January. They’re calling on the city to use federal stimulus funds and additional cash from the state to launch a massive outreach effort to track down disengaged students.
City officials point to more than 300 field staff and 100 counselors who focus on working with homeless students, a new program that will offer summer school and recreational activities to any student who wants it, and efforts to prioritize vulnerable kids for in-person classes.