Report: lots of absent kids, but fewer school suspensions

WASHINGTON (AP) — New government numbers offer a mixed snapshot of progress for the nation’s schoolchildren.

An Education Department report finds 6.5 million students nationwide were chronically absent in the 2013-14 school year. That’s more than one out of every ten students missing at least three full weeks of school. It’s the first time the department has collected student absenteeism data.

The report also suggests sharp disparities between how black and white students are disciplined in school as well as the types of advanced coursework offered in high school to black and Latino children.

On a positive note, the study saw a significant drop in school suspensions, down nearly 20 percent from the previous reporting period.

The report is part of a biannual survey of all public schools and districts in the country.

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