I recently read a Education Week article discussing new efforts schools have been trying to make to reduce teacher absences. The article states that research papers from economists at Harvard University and Duke University have argued that teacher absences harm student achievement. Consequently, education experts and administrators have experimented and debated policies to attempt to reduce teacher absences.

The research papers of the Harvard and Duke economists argue that teacher absences have a small but significant effect on student achievement as shown by test results. The economists also point to previous research that suggests ways of reducing teacher absences. For example, the economists note that the more generous leave provisions are the more days on average are taken. They also say that it is worth considering incentive plans that reward exceptional attendance or pay teachers for earned leave they do not take. Another approach the economists propose is to require teachers to report time off directly to their principal, rather to the central office or the answering machine.

In addition to proposed approaches, the article describes new efforts by schools to monitor teacher attendance, such as improved tracking of absences and principals’ emphasis on teacher attendance. However, these efforts have limited data to measure their effectiveness.

While the studies do provide compelling evidence that teacher absences probably do harm student achievement, the degree of harm is unclear. In my opinion, a broader based assessment could incorporate teacher attendance, other measures of teach effectiveness and other societal factors that influence student achievement. Through such an assessment, we can create policies and incentives that would address student achievement through a more holistic approach. What do think about this issue? I would appreciate your views.

Other resources: What makes Education Research “Educational”?
Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Francesca Forzani, Educational Researcher, V36 n9