The Effect of Teacher Absenteeism on 8th Grade Students’ Behavior and Attendance in an Urban 6-12 Charter School

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teacher absenteeism on student behavior and attendance rates in an urban charter school that serves students in grades six through twelve. The sample groups consisted of 68 eighth grade students and five (5) teachers. This quasi-experimental design study was conducted over an eight-week time period. The disciplinary reports and attendance records of the student participants were identified and monitored through the online Student Management System (SMS). The attendance of adult participants was identified and monitored through the online Principal Dashboard system and internal paper-based logs. According to this study, there was no significant difference in the number of student discipline referrals made by teachers with high and those with low absence rates. Additionally, teacher absence seemed to have little statistical influence on student attendance rates. However, the data did show that teacher tardiness did have a significant effect on student behavior. Teachers with a high rate of tardiness made more referrals than teachers with a low rate of tardiness. Finally, students taught by teachers with a high rate of tardiness also had significant rates of tardiness when compared to their peers taught by teachers with low rates of tardiness. Student absence was the same no matter if the teacher had high or low rates of tardiness. These findings suggest that teachers who are frequently absent do not significantly alter the behaviors and attendance of the students that they teach. However, teachers who are frequently tardy significantly affect the behavior and tardiness of their students. Actions are required to support, develop, or remove teachers who are frequently tardy in order to limit the effect of teacher tardiness on overall school climate and culture. This is particularly important when this negative behavior is concentrated in one grade level or department.