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

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