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High Chronic Absenteeism Rates Among Special Needs Students Raise Alarms

September 3, 2019

By: Amelia Harper
Source: Education Dive

Dive Brief:

  • A recent analysis by the Research Alliance for New York City Schools finds 13% of the roughly 200,000 students with special needs in the system missed at least 20% of school days during the 2015-16 school year, the most recent for which data is available, and that 38% of students labeled with emotional disturbances had chronic absences, according to an article published by The City.
  • Dawn Yuster, director of Advocates for Children’s School Justice Project, feels many of these students are lacking needed social and emotional supports from the NYC Department of Education and becoming “totally disenchanted with school,” noting the district has about 5,500 more school safety agents than psychologists, guidance counselors and social workers. The department plans to add 85 more licensed clinical social workers this year to improve mental health resources for students.

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