By Dr. Kara Stern
The U.S. Department of Education’s recent cancellation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 17-year-olds has sparked legitimate concerns about lost data. This long-term trend assessment hasn’t been conducted for this age group since 2012, and education researchers are right to be troubled about missing another critical measurement point in understanding academic recovery.
But here’s the reality: while the NAEP data would have been valuable, we don’t need to wait for it to know that our high school students face significant challenges. The evidence is already clear from attendance data and student surveys that reveal concerning patterns about our oldest students.
A Growing Attendance Crisis
The mid-year attendance data from SchoolStatus’s analysis of over one million K–12 students tells a compelling story. As students progress through high school, their attendance and engagement dramatically decline. The 2024–25 chronic absenteeism rate for 12th graders stands at 27.55%—meaning nearly one-third of seniors are missing at least 10% of school days. This represents a 1.1% increase from the 2023–24 school year, when the rate was 27.25%.
Even more concerning is the clear regression among 10th–12th graders compared to younger students. While elementary and middle school students show improving attendance trends, high schoolers are moving in the opposite direction. Looking at the specific data, 10th graders saw their chronic absenteeism rise from 26.04% to 26.53% (a 1.88% increase), 11th graders from 26.33% to 27.05% (a 2.73% increase), and 12th graders from 27.25% to 27.55% (a 1.10% increase). This pattern stands in stark contrast to grades 2–6, which saw chronic absenteeism rates decrease by an average of 11.5% during the same period.
Disconnection Between School and Real Life
The story doesn’t improve when we look beyond attendance data. YouthTruth’s recent Civic Empowerment report surveying over 115,000 high school students reveals a fundamental disconnection between students and their education. Only 44% of high school students believe they can make a difference in their school, community, or world—a critical indicator of student engagement and agency.
Students explicitly identify academics as disconnected from real-world concerns and describe this disconnect as a barrier to engagement rather than a pathway to it. Their survey responses paint a picture of young people who see little relevance between their coursework and the issues that matter to them.
The Adult-Student Relationship Gap
Perhaps most telling is what YouthTruth has found about relationships between students and educators. In their 2023 report, only 22% of secondary students say that many or all of their teachers make an effort to understand what their lives are like outside of school—a dramatic decline from 43% during spring 2020 and the lowest percentage recorded in their research.
This relational disconnect matters. When students don’t feel seen or understood by the adults in their schools, it undermines their sense of belonging and engagement. Research consistently shows that strong, supportive relationships with adults at school are one of the most powerful factors in promoting regular attendance.
Addressing What We Already Know
What these data sources collectively show is that our high schoolers are increasingly disengaged—not just from academics but from the broader purpose of their education. They’re physically absent from classrooms at alarming rates and psychologically disconnected from their learning experiences and the adults who guide them.
The canceled NAEP assessment would have provided additional confirmation of these trends through achievement data, but we already have enough information to know we’re facing a serious crisis with our oldest students. The data patterns are clear and consistent across multiple measures.
Moving Forward with the Data We Have
Rather than lamenting the lost NAEP data, educators and policymakers should focus on leveraging the rich information we already have to implement solutions. This means deploying comprehensive attendance management systems that flag at-risk students early, creating more engaging learning opportunities that connect academics to real-world concerns, and intentionally building stronger relationships between students and educators.
The real tragedy isn’t missing a data point—it’s failing to act on the data we already have. Our 17-year-olds are telling us clearly through their attendance patterns and survey responses that something isn’t working. We don’t need another test to confirm the obvious: addressing the high school engagement crisis requires immediate attention and decisive action before another cohort of students slips away.
Dr. Kara Stern is the Director of Education and Engagement for SchoolStatus, the K–12 success platform. A former principal, she earned her PhD in Teaching and Learning from NYU and her MA in Education Leadership from Columbia University.
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