Cities in Action: Student Reengagement–Hartford Connecticut’s Efforts to Address Chronic Absenteeism

Overview

City Name: Hartford, CT

Population: 120,576

Region: Northeast

Problem: Schools in Hartford, CT were seeing extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism in 2018, and this problem intensified as a result of the pandemic. Hartford’s absenteeism rates came to be among the highest in the state, and District and City officials believed that a collaborative approach to addressing the issue was desperately needed.

Solution: Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez convened a task force consisting of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, city staff, district staff, community-based organizations, and parents, to work towards the overarching goal of reducing absenteeism through a multi-tiered, comprehensive support system for students.

Outcome: Targeted schools, identified as having an absenteeism rate of >30%, saw a decrease of 8.3% in 2022-23 chronic absenteeism rates as compared to the 2021-22 school year.