Our schools need more state oversight to address chronic absenteeism

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

New York City high schools face criticism for lax attendance and grading policies that allow students to miss significant class time without penalty, prompting calls from educators and lawmakers for greater state oversight and detailed attendance reporting. These concerns highlight fears of declining academic standards and potential misrepresentation of student progress, with advocates urging state intervention to ensure accountability and transparency.

Concerns over chronic absenteeism in New York City high schools have prompted calls for increased state oversight and transparency in attendance reporting. Mike Dowd, a social studies teacher at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, highlighted recent legislative and audit efforts aimed at addressing the issue, while urging more comprehensive measures to ensure students attend classes regularly.

In the spring of 2026, several state lawmakers, including Queens Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, introduced bills requiring schools across New York State to publish detailed attendance data. Dowd described this initiative as a positive step, emphasizing the need for greater accountability in New York City’s public schools. The concern was further underscored by an audit released by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli last month, which revealed low attendance rates at city suspension centers.

Dowd pointed to a significant loosening of attendance and grading standards in New York City high schools following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dowd, the city’s Department of Education allowed remote learning policies to remain in place that prohibited teachers from factoring attendance into students’ grades and removed the ability to flag excessive absenteeism on report cards. Simultaneously, many schools have instituted minimum grading policies, often assigning a baseline grade of 55% on all assignments regardless of student participation or performance.

These changes, Dowd argues, have contributed to a culture where attendance is effectively optional, and students can miss large amounts of class time without jeopardizing their passing status. He described situations in which students miss months of classes yet still earn passing grades, attributing the trend to administrative pressure on teachers to raise graduation rates.

Dowd also highlighted a lack of detailed attendance data, noting that official reports often count students as present if they attend a single class period during the school day, allowing them to miss numerous individual classes unnoticed. He suggested that the comptroller’s office conduct audits based on period-by-period attendance to identify levels of chronic absenteeism more accurately.

In addition to attendance, Dowd called for transparency regarding grading practices, advocating for data on how many students receive credit despite missing substantial portions of a course. He warned that the current situation may amount to widespread academic fraud, though he acknowledged the need for comprehensive data before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Dowd concluded that addressing these issues requires state-level intervention, given the city’s current practices. He argued that transparency is crucial to determine whether schools are effectively educating students or merely providing the appearance of doing so, urging Albany officials to take the lead if local authorities fail to act.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.