K-12 educators are always trying to find ways to increase student performance, test scores, and ultimately, student happiness in their schools. But unfortunately, if students aren’t often physically present at school, nothing the teachers do can be effective. Throughout the United States, regardless of region, socioeconomic status, or demographics, chronic absenteeism has become an increasingly serious issue – recent studies have shown that an estimated 26% of public school students were considered to be chronically absent last year, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic rate of about 15% (NYTimes, “Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere, 3/29/24).  

This sharp rise in chronic absenteeism across all demographics begs the question: What is it about our current educational model that may be contributing to students’ chronic absenteeism?  Many aspects of students’ lives – both in school and out – have been examined, and one of the most common, yet fixable, issues that contributes to chronic absenteeism is that students are frequently disconnected and disengaged from the “traditional” curriculum in most schools.

With traditional curriculum, students often fail to see the relevance of their lessons to their current lives and future goals, which can quickly lead to apathy towards school in general.  Traditional curriculum often prioritizes rote memorization and test taking skills over real world application, and students are left grappling with the question, “When will I need to know this in the real world?”  

Without clearly seeing connections between what they’re learning in school and what they need to know for their future careers, many students will disengage from school entirely. And this lack of engagement and disconnect from the curriculum erodes more than the student’s ability to succeed in one particular class – it erodes vital social bonds that are formed in school among classmates and teachers. These bonds help to build social capital and open students’ minds to new opportunities, both within and beyond the classroom. Without these bonds and connections, students are likely to further disengage from educational opportunities, and the cycle of disengagement and absenteeism continues. 

Adjusting curriculum to be more relevant to all students’ lives is an immediate, tangible, and truly simple way to fix the disengagement that leads to chronic absenteeism. Research shows that when students experience purpose in their learning, there is an increase in motivation to learn, interest and engagement, effort and persistence, task and course completion, performance, and retention of new information. Understanding this importance of purpose and connection in what students learn, Pathway2Careers, a pioneer in the curriculum world, has developed a career-connected 9-12 curriculum that directly links academic concepts to specific career paths, ensuring students never have to question the practicality or relevance of what they’re learning in school. When their education becomes relevant to their lives, learners feel more empowered to fully engage with the material – and this engagement leads the way for improved attendance and, ultimately, improved academic performance and better overall outcomes for students in school and beyond.  

Pathway2Careers offers several real-world, relevant, standards-based career-connected curriculums for grades 9-12, with math being one of the clearest pivots from a “traditional” curriculum. Math is so frequently perceived as an abstract, disconnected subject, with very little obvious relevance to many careers – but a career-connected curriculum like Pathway2Careers demonstrates real-world applications of mathematical concepts in fields that students can envision themselves in. They are able to see the relevance of the mathematical concept in real time as they are learning it. And when students can see that relevance to the real world, their enthusiasm for learning ignites. Whether they’re curious about a career in healthcare, construction, designing video games, finance, entrepreneurship, or beyond, students learn about these careers and how math concepts will help them be successful not just in their math class, but in a specific real world career. Indeed, data from the National Dropout Prevention Center shows that career development and job training is the most effective way to motivate students – far more than strategies like academic support, literacy development, or mentoring.    

It’s important to note that implementing a career-connected curriculum that prioritizes relevance for students isn’t only to increase objective, measurable educational outcomes – it’s to increase student engagement to create lifelong learners who are excited for their futures, and who truly enjoy being in school. Students who are engaged in their learning are more likely to attend school, which goes hand-in-hand with stronger interpersonal relationships and academic success. By creating a learning environment where each lesson has real-world significance, teachers can empower their students to take control of their own education.

Ultimately, addressing chronic absenteeism is not just about improving attendance; it's about transforming the educational experience to ignite a passion for learning. At Pathway2Careers, we're pioneering a shift towards a career-connected curriculum that helps students see the real-world relevance of their studies. By linking academic concepts directly to potential career paths, we're not only enhancing student engagement but also fostering a generation of enthusiastic learners who see the value in every school day and are excited about their future possibilities.