Are Detailed Absence Codes Useful for Understanding Absence Patterns? A Population Study of Grade 3–10 Students

Abstract

Data from 106,253 Grade 3-10 students attending Western Australian schools in 2015 were used to examine the student-and school-level factors associated with multiple absence types, and to assess the value of these absence codes for broader research. Absence codes included illness, reasonable excuses, vacations, suspension, cultural absences, unacceptable reasons, truancy and unexplained absences. The factors associated with absences varied across absence codes. Between-school differences accounted for a substantial proportion of variation in student absences, suggesting considerable differences between schools in the way absences are managed and recorded. The variability across schools in the way that absences occur or are recorded is a limitation of the data, which has implications for how these codes are used for broader research.