Michigan Improves Student Attendance for Fourth School Year in a Row

LANSING – Statewide public school attendance improved slightly last year, the fourth consecutive year of gains, according to numbers released today by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Michigan’s statewide attendance for the 2025-26 school increased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 91.5%. Since the 2021-22 school year, when the attendance rate was 88.8%, the number has improved by 2.7 percentage points.

The statewide chronic absenteeism rate also improved for the fourth consecutive year, declining by 0.7 of a percentage point to 27.2% and down by 11.3 percentage points since 2021-22.

“Students benefit when they are in school and engaged in learning,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “Michigan’s improving attendance and chronic absenteeism rates reflect the hard work of local school districts, students, families, community partners and the Michigan Department of Education. While this progress is encouraging, more work remains. We must continue working together to improve attendance and further reduce chronic absenteeism across our state.”

The Center for Educational Performance and Information has posted statewide results on MI School Data (mischooldata.org), Michigan’s official education data portal. Statewide data and data for specific local schools can be found on the MI School Data Student Attendance report.

“The State Board of Education will continue to closely watch attendance and chronic absenteeism rates and encourage MDE to work with local districts to improve attendance,” said Board President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “We appreciate the work that’s been done and call upon the department and local districts to continue to use methods that have been successful in getting students to school.”

Local school districts have improved student attendance with actions such as making calls to parents, holding conferences with families, mental health interventions, and door-to-door outreach to visit students’ homes.

MDE has assisted local districts with their attendance, including with the following:

• Using research-based strategies to meet the individual needs of the whole child at all achievement levels through what’s called Michigan’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports. These strategies interconnect the education, health, and human services systems to support successful learners, schools, centers, and community outcomes.
• Providing universal resources and targeted support to implement the research- and evidence-based Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (EWIMS). The seven-step decision-making process identifies and monitors interventions to help students get back on track for graduation and success. MDE has trained 20 EWIMS coaches who are available to support EWIMS implementation in districts and schools statewide.
• Releasing to school districts in July new Student Attendance and Engagement Guidance. This guidance is designed to help educators, school and district leaders and community partners use a systematic approach to prevent chronic absenteeism and to proactively address potential barriers to attendance. This guidance document provides tools and resources to help identify root causes that contribute to chronic absenteeism and provides research-based prevention and intervention strategies to help engage students and improve attendance.

The department in the coming weeks will announce additional measures to assist districts in improving attendance.

Michigan defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more days of school. This has been the definition since 2017, when Michigan adopted the U.S. Department of Education definition.

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