The program will provide pediatricians with tools to help reduce school absence
ITASCA, IL-- The American Academy of Pediatrics has been awarded a two-year $450,000 grant from the Kaiser Permanente Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation to tackle chronic school absence by equipping pediatricians with tools to support children and families.
“The AAP has long recognized the important role schools play in improving the health outcomes of children and youth and is looking forward to working with Kaiser Permanente to identify ways that pediatricians can help remove barriers toward student school attendance,” said AAP Chief Medical Officer Lee Beers, MD, FAAP. “Pediatricians, families, youth advisors and key partner organizations whose work centers on school attendance will help inform this work.”
One in 4 students nationwide is chronically absent from school, missing critical learning time and becoming increasingly disconnected from peers, educators, and support systems. Behind these absences are often unmet health needs, including asthma and other chronic illnesses, mental health challenges, and barriers to accessing care. With Kaiser Permanente’s support, AAP seeks to recognize and strengthen the role of pediatric care providers in identifying and addressing the health-related causes of chronic absence.
With this grant, the AAP will establish a project advisory committee, conduct a landscape analysis, and develop resources for pediatric clinicians to address health concerns that impact attendance and school engagement at the point of care. The effort aims to reduce rates of chronic absence to pre-pandemic levels and support children's healthy development. The initiative will develop evidence-based guidance, screening tools, and referral resources that can be integrated into pediatric care frameworks nationwide.
Heidi Schumacher, MD, FAAP, will serve as co-medical director for the project.
“Healthy bodies and minds are the foundations of academic success, and success in school is a leading predictor of long-term health,” Dr. Schumacher said. “Pediatricians play a natural role to partner with families and schools so that young people can be healthy, present and ready to learn.”
As articulated in the AAP policy statement, “The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health,” there is a close relationship between a young person’s health and academic achievement, Dr. Schumacher said.
This approach aligns with Kaiser Permanente’s ongoing work to improve health and learning outcomes through a focus on school absence.
“We should think about school attendance the same way we think about other key indicators of child well-being. Improving attendance means addressing the health-related drivers that prevent students from fully participating in school,” said Kaiser Permanente Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Bechara Choucair, MD.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we know lasting change happens when schools, health systems, community partners, and industry leaders like AAP work together to improve the conditions that keep kids healthy and ready to learn,” he said.
In school year 2023-24, an estimated 23% of US students were chronically absent from school, meaning they missed 10% or more of the days in the school year, or an average of two missed days per month. While this is an improvement from peak rates of chronic absence in school year 2021-22, it still represents a significant increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Chronic absence broadly refers to missing too much school for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences as well as suspensions. Chronic absence can occur as early as preschool and kindergarten and has been shown to be related to grade retention, and poor academic achievement. School attendance correlates to long-term health and wellbeing.
The grant also builds on the academy’s existing work to foster school health. The AAP Council on School Health (COSH) comprised of approximately 500 pediatricians, residents, medical students, and affiliate members including nurses, counselors, and other allied health professionals, has been working to address school attendance for many years.
“There are many reasons children miss school, some stemming from poverty, illness or other forms of instability in their lives,” Dr. Beers said. “This collaboration will help our pediatric professionals provide support and resources where it is needed.”
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.