Familiar Faces in High School: How Having the Same Peers from Year-to-Year Links to Student Absenteeism

Abstract

Student absenteeism is a persistent concern in K-12 education. Not only are the negative academic and social consequences of excessive absenteeism well documented, but states, districts, and schools are increasingly being held accountable for student attendance. As research indicates that disruptions in students’ learning contexts may exacerbate absenteeism, peer consistency shows promise as a force for improving student attendance. This article examines whether having familiar faces, or consistent classmates from one year to the next, influences student attendance. Using four years of administrative data from a small, urban high school district in California, we find that familiar faces are associated with reduced rates of overall absences, chronic absenteeism, and chronic truancy.