Absenteeism rates in high incidence special populations

1
Absenteeism rates in high incidence special
populations

• Previous investigations document important links
  between school attendance problems and
  concomitant academic and socioemotional
  difficulties (Berg, 1992 Berg Nurnstein, 1996
  Blagg, 1987 Chialand Young, 1990 Hansen et
  al. 1998 Hicks, 2002 Kearney, 1995 Kearney
  Albano, 2000 Kearney Tilotson, 1998 King,
  Ollendick Tonge, 1995 King et al 199
  Wietzman, 1985) suggesting that attendance rates
  can be used as a health-related quality of life
  measure
• Children receiving special education services
  have demonstrated higher rates of absenteeism
  relative to their regular education counterparts
  (Hansen et al. 1998 Hicks, 2002 Koetering
  Braziel, 1999 Naylor et al. 1994 Zigmond
  Thornton, 1985).
• Elevated levels of absenteeism have been
  particularly implicated for high incidence
  populations, such as learning disabilities (LD)
  and emotional/behavioral disorders (ED) (Berg
  Nurnstein, 1996 Hicks, 2002 Kotering Braziel,
  1999 Naylor, 1994).
• In contrast, little is known about the
  absenteeism rates associated with communication
  disorders (CD), another high incidence population
  at risk for academic and socioemotional
  difficulties.
• Most investigations into the relationship between
  special education status and absenteeism have
  used cross-sectional designs. This is problematic
  because special education designations may change
  for some children (e.g. CD into LD)

2
Questions Directing Current Study

• What is the relative impact of CD status on
  students absenteeism rates relative to general
  education expectations through the early and
  middle elementary grades?
• What is the impact of CD status on students
  absenteeism rates relative to other high
  incidence special education categories during
  late elementary, middle, and early high school?

3
Participants/Data Source

• 2 cohort samples were generated using the
  1997-2001 attendance records of a mid-sized urban
  school district in the Intermountain West
• K-4th Sample
• 63 children receiving CD services in Kindergarten
  who had complete records up to 4th grade
• 70 general education controls with complete
  records randomly sampled
• 5th-9th Sample
• 3 groups of students receiving special education
  services with complete records from 5th-9th grade
  
• 23 children with CD, 28 children with LD, 26
  children with ED
• 25 general education controls with complete
  records randomly sampled

4
K-4th Sample
5
5th-9th Sample
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Results

• K-4th Sample Regular Education and CD
• A significant main effect for the within-subjects
  factor was found
• grade F (4, 524) 22.609, p lt.001
• Group and group-by-grade effects were not
  significant p .613 p .208
• 5th-9th Sample Regular Education, CD, LD, and ED
• Significant main effects were found for both the
  between and within subjects factors
• group F (3,98) 2.677, p .051, eta-sq. .076
• grade F (4,392) 6.927, p lt.001, eta-sq. .066
• Significant interaction effects were also
  observed
• group x grade F (12,392) 1.790, p .048,
  eta-sq. .052

7
K - 4th Sample
8
5th-9th Sample
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Discussion

• 1. In this study, CD stood out as a high
  incidence special education category which did
  not place students at risk for absenteeism.
  Absenteeism rates for the CD category were
  similar to the regular education controls from
  kindergarten to grade 9.
• 2. In contrast, LD and ED status were associated
  with elevated levels of absenteeism.
• 3. The outcomes of this study are consistent with
  the position that the socioemotional concomitants
  associated with communication disorders are
  typologically different and exert a weaker
  influence on students quality of life than those
  associated with either learning disability or
  emotional/ behavioral disturbance (e.g. Redmond
  Rice, 1998 2002).