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absence
| Variable | Question text | Label |
|---|---|---|
| ab000 | We want to understand why kids miss school, and how kids think about their attendance.
This school year (from August 2024 to June 2025) approximately how many days were you absent from school? | how many days absent |
| ab001a | Physical health reasons, like being sick, hurt, going to the doctor, or having period/menstrual cramps, etc. | Physical health reasons, like being sick, hurt, going to the doctor, or having period/menstrual cramps, etc. |
| ab001b | Mental health reasons, like feeling anxious, depressed or very stressed | Mental health reasons, like feeling anxious, depressed or very stressed |
| ab001c | Fun reasons, like going on vacation, skipping school, or traveling for a sport or activity not related to school | Fun reasons, like going on vacation, skipping school, or traveling for a sport or activity not related to school |
| ab001d | Problems getting to school, like car trouble, missing the bus, or bad weather | Problems getting to school, like car trouble, missing the bus, or bad weather |
| ab001e | Family or personal reasons, like helping care for someone who is sick or problems with housing | Family or personal reasons, like helping care for someone who is sick or problems with housing |
| ab001f | School-related reasons, like feeling unsafe at school, problems with a classmate, not having an assignment ready, or general lack of interest in school | School-related reasons, like feeling unsafe at school, problems with classmates, or general lack of interest in school |
| ab001g | Other reason(s) that do not fit into one of these categories | Other reason(s) that do not fit into one of these categories |
| ab002_other | Other | days Other |
| ab002a | You were sick with something contagious (e.g., flu, fever, diarrhea, COVID, or other illness meeting school criteria for staying home) | days Potentially contagious illness (like the flu, fever, diarrhea, COVID, or other illness meeting school criteria for keeping your child home) |
| ab002b | You had mild illness symptoms (headache, stomachache, cough) – but no fever, not seriously ill | days Mild illness symptoms (like a headache, stomachache, or cough) – but no fever, not seriously ill |
| ab002c | You had period cramps or another period-related issue | days Cramps or other period-related issue |
| ab002d | You had complications from chronic or extreme illness or injury (like surgery, concussion, a broken bone, etc.) | days Complications from chronic or extreme illness or injury (surgery, concussion, broken bone, etc.) |
| ab002e | You had a routine doctor's appointment – including well-checks, dentist, orthodontist, physical therapy, mental health, etc. | days Routine doctor appointment - including well-checks, dentist, orthodontist, physical therapy, mental health, disability assessments |
| ab002f | You needed a break (sometimes called a “mental health day”) | days taking a break/mental health day |
| ab002g | You were feeling very anxious or depressed | days feeling very anxious or depressed |
| ab002h | Family vacation or attending a special event like a wedding | days Family vacation or special family event (like a wedding) |
| ab002i | Skipped school just for fun | days Skipped school just for fun |
| ab002j | Went to a non-school event, like a sports, dance, or cheer competition | days Went to a non-school event, like a sports, dance, or cheer competition |
| ab002k | Transportation issue (missed the bus, car trouble) | days Transportation issue (missed the bus, car trouble) |
| ab002l | Bad weather made it hard to get to school | days Bad weather made it hard to get to school |
| ab002m | You had to work | days Had to work |
| ab002n | Had to take care of a younger sibling or other family member | days Had to take care of a younger sibling or other family member |
| ab002o | There was a death, funeral or serious illness in the family | days There was a death, funeral or serious illness in the family |
| ab002p | Court or custody-related issue | days Court or custody-related reason |
| ab002q | Experiencing housing problems or unstable housing | days experiencing housing problems or unstable housing |
| ab002r | Experiencing bullying or another problem with kids at school | days Bullying or a problem with kids at school |
| ab002s | Behavior or discipline issues at school | days Behavior or discipline issues at school |
| ab002t | Serving school suspension | days Serving school suspension |
| ab002u | Your schoolwork wasn't ready, you weren't prepared for a test, you were missing an assignment, or something similar | days schoolwork wasn't ready, not prepared for a test, missing an assignment, or something similar |
| ab002v | One or more of your parents did not want you participating in a specific lesson happening that day | days parents did not want child to take part in a specific lesson happening that day |
| ab002w | You felt unsafe at school | days felt unsafe at school |
| ab002x | You just didn't want to go | days Just didn't want to go |
| ab003_order | order ab003 series | |
| ab003a | Mild illness symptoms (like a headache, stomachache, or cough) – but no fever, not seriously ill | allow Mild illness symptoms (like a headache, stomachache, or cough) – but no fever, not seriously ill |
| ab003b | Routine doctor appointment - including well-checks, dentist, orthodontist, physical therapy, mental health, disability assessments | allow Routine doctor appointment - including well-checks, dentist, orthodontist, physical therapy, mental health, disability assessments |
| ab003c | Needing a break (sometimes called a "mental health day") | allow taking a break/mental health day |
| ab003d | Feeling very anxious or depressed | allow Feeling very anxious or depressed |
| ab003e | Family vacation or attending a special event like a wedding | allow Family vacation or special family event (like a wedding) |
| ab003f | Skipping school just for fun | allow Skipping school just for fun |
| ab003g | Going to a non-school event, like a sports, dance, or cheer competition | allow Going to a non-school event, like a sports, dance, or cheer competition |
| ab003h | Transportation issue (missing the bus, car trouble) | allow Transportation issue (missing the bus, car trouble) |
| ab003i | Bad weather making it hard to get to school | allow Bad weather making it hard to get to school |
| ab003j | A work schedule conflict | allow work schedule conflict |
| ab003k | Caring for a younger sibling or other family member | allow To take care of a younger sibling or other family member |
| ab003l | Death, funeral or serious illness in the family | allow Death, funeral or serious illness in the family |
| ab003m | Experiencing bullying or another problem with kids at school | allow Bullying or another problem with kids at school |
| ab003n | Behavior or discipline issues at school | allow Behavior or discipline issues at school |
| ab003o | Not having schoolwork ready, not being prepared for a test, missing an assignment, or something similar | allow Schoolwork not ready, not prepared for a test, missing an assignment, or something similar |
| ab003p | A parent keeping you from a particular lesson at school that day | allow parent keeping from a specific lesson happening that day |
| ab003q | Feeling unsafe at school | allow Feeling unsafe at school |
| ab003r | Just not wanting to go | allow Just doesn’t want to go to school |
| ab003s | Cramps or other period-related issue | allow Period cramps or other period-related issue. |
| ab004 | How many days in a 180-day school year do you think is ok for a student to be absent? | how many days ok to miss school |
| ab005_order | order ab005 series | |
| ab005a | I miss too much school | I miss too much school |
| ab005b | Schools should make good attendance a priority | Schools should make good attendance a priority |
| ab005c | Kids in my school are absent too often | Kids in my school are absent too often |
| ab005e | Students would go to school more if they knew that being absent makes things harder for teachers and schools | Students would go to school more if they knew that being absent makes things harder for teachers and schools |
| ab005f | In-person learning is important for me to do well academically | In-person learning is important for me to do well academically |
| ab005g | Having good attendance is important to me | Having good attendance is important to me |
| ab005h | Schools are too strict about attendance | Schools are too strict about attendance |
| ab005i | Online apps or platforms (like google classroom or an online portal) makes it easier to miss school | Online apps (like google classroom or an online portal) make it easier for children to miss school |
| ab005j | If I have good grades, missing school doesn’t really matter | If I have good grades, missing school doesn’t really matter |
| ab005k | I should be able to take a mental health day sometimes | I should be able to take a mental health day sometimes |
| ab005l | I don't miss anything important when I'm absent | I don't miss anything important when I'm absent |
| ab005m | Going to school in person is important for social reasons | Going to school in person is important for social reasons |
| ab005n | Missing school stresses me out | Missing school stresses me out |
| ab005o | My parents decide whether or not I can miss a day of school | My parents decide whether or not I can miss a day of school |
| ab005p | My parents always know when I am absent | My parents always know when I am absent |
| ab005q | I might go to school more if I knew that being absent makes things harder for schools and teachers | I might go to school more if I knew that being absent makes things harder for schools and teachers |
| ab005r | I think it's ok for students to "work from home" sometimes if they want to | I think it's ok for students to "work from home" sometimes if they want to |
| ab007_order | order ab007 series | |
| ab007a | Giving students certificates or other awards for good attendance | Giving students certificates or other awards for good attendance |
| ab007b | Schools paying students a small bonus each semester for good attendance | Schools paying students a small bonus each semester for good attendance |
| ab007c | Schools charging parents a small fine for unexcused absences | Schools charging parents a small fine for unexcused absences |
| ab007d | Giving classrooms rewards for good attendance like a pizza party, or a free period | Giving classrooms rewards for good attendance like a pizza party, or a free period |
| ab007e | Giving lunch detention (or a similar consequence) when students miss too many days | Giving lunch detention (or a similar consequence) when students miss too many days |
| ab007f | Counting attendance as part of students' grades | Counting attendance as part of students' grades |
| ab007g | Improving relationships between students and teachers | Improving relationships between students and teachers |
| ab007h | Improving communication between parents and teachers | Improving communication between parents and teachers |
| ab007i | Making learning more interesting and fun | Making learning more interesting and fun |
| ab007j | Doing more group projects so students feel their presence matters to others | Doing more group projects so students feel their presence matters to others |
| ab007k | Improving teacher quality | Improving teacher quality |
| ab007l | Making the school safer | Making the school safer |
| ab007m | Creating a more supportive school culture | Creating a more supportive school culture |
| ab007n | Teaching parents about why school attendance matters | Teaching parents about why school attendance matters |
| ab007o | Teaching students about why school attendance matters | Teaching students about why school attendance matters |
| ab009 | Which of these could you not live without for a day? | Which of these could you not live without for a day |
| family_order | family order reasons | |
| fun_order | fun order reasons | |
| mental_health_order | mental health order reasons | |
| physical_health_order | physical health order reasons | |
| problems_order | problems order reasons | |
| school_order | school order reasons |