Addressing School Absenteeism Through Monitoring: A Review of Evidence-Based Educational Policies and Practices

Abstract

In many countries, indicators related to educational contexts, inputs, processes, and outputs serve as important benchmarks for allocating funding to educational institutions. Educational monitoring provides a valuable approach for gathering data on these indicators. This review offers a critical analysis of the current state of educational monitoring of school attendance in Germany, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive monitoring system including such data. We provide an overview of the current state of research, propose a theoretical framework, and outline the key requirements for effective monitoring. From this foundation, we examine existing empirical evidence on the impact of monitoring school attendance. Our findings indicate that comprehensive and ongoing monitoring is essential for preventing and reducing student absenteeism. Moreover, we emphasize that consistent attendance monitoring is vital for educational policy and practice, offering considerable potential for school improvement. It functions as an early warning system, helping to identify students at risk of academic failure or dropping out. By systematically tracking attendance, schools can implement basic preventive measures and tailor interventions to address the specific needs of at-risk students, ultimately fostering academic achievement and engagement.