Flaking Out: Student Absences and Snow Days as Disruptions of Instructional Time

Key Findings Increasing instructional time through lengthening the school day or year is often discussed as one way to improve student performance. Little attention has, however, been paid to student attendance. This study explores the impact of instructional time disruptions, including student absences and school closures due to snow days. It finds that: • The average Massachusetts student misses 10 days of school a year, eight of which are due to absences and only two of which are due to school closures (snow days). • A student’s achievement is hurt by his own absences, as well as by those of his peers. • Low income students have higher absence rates than non-low income students and are more likely to have very high numbers of absences (30 to 60) in a year. The study’s estimates suggest that one-fourth of the achievement gap by income is accounted for by attendance. • School closures (snow days) have no discernible impact on student achievement overall, though a small impact is observed in the lowest income schools. Absences because of moderately heavy snowfall that does not cause a school closure, however, are even more harmful than the typical absence, at least in math. • Teachers appear to deal well with coordinated disruptions of instructional time like snow days but deal poorly with disruptions like absences that affect different students at different times.