State of the Georgia Girl Report

School Attendance Consistent school attendance is the fundamental precondition for academic engagement and achievement. The Georgia Department of Education tracks absenteeism in the state by a student’s share of school days missed: less than 5%, between 5% and 15%, and chronic absenteeism of more than 15%. Across the state, girls and boys are absent at nearly identical rates, but the headline finding is the prevalence of chronic absence: nearly 1 in 5 girls in Georgia is chronically absent from school, missing 28 or more school days per year .

Chronic absenteeism affects 1 in 5 girls in Georgia. Georgia Department of Education, Student Attendance – 2023-2024, Public Schools.

Attendance – Public Schools, 2023–2024

42%

41%

39%

38%

20%

20%

Less than 5% absent

5–15% absent

More than 15% absent

Female

Male

A strong link between chronic absenteeism and lower academic achievement has been documented through several studies, including a comparison of absence rates occurring among siblings, neutralizing many other factors that impact academics such as home environment (Gottfried, 2011). For girls, the absenteeism challenges are multi-pronged : as demonstrated in this report, girls are more likely than boys to miss school days after feeling unsafe and girls report experiencing mental health challenges and dating violence at higher rates than boys. These circumstances create tension between safety and school attendance.

76% of Georgia Girl Scouts feel more confident at school because of the program.

POWERED BY THE GIRL SCOUT COUNCILS SERVING THE STATE OF GEORGIA 55