Washington, D.C. has emerged as a national leader in academic recovery since the COVID‑19 pandemic, topping the nation in gains in both math and reading between 2022 and 2025. Yet school leaders say that strong learning growth and classroom practice must contend with an enduring reality: nearly 40% of District students were chronically absent in the most recent school year.
Students' voices at the center
This spring, at an event attended by families and representatives from the D.C. State Board of Education, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the D.C. Council, six students from Seaton Elementary School were invited to answer a simple question: what makes them want to come to school?
Their responses were direct and instructive. One second grader, Lori, told adults that a friendly, welcoming environment matters most.
“One reason I like coming to school is because of how welcoming they are,”
Other students highlighted teachers and classmates who are kind, learning new things together, and even a teacher’s sense of humor. The students' candid answers reframed the conversation for educators and policymakers, centering school culture and belonging as critical factors affecting attendance.
Attendance and belonging as policy priorities
State Superintendent Antoinette Mitchell has stressed that school culture plays a role in whether students show up. District officials point to social and emotional needs that surfaced after widespread pandemic disruptions — factors that go beyond curriculum and instruction. At Seaton, a Title I school in Northwest Washington, teachers and staff say students return to class carrying those needs.
Educators at Seaton have used structured programs designed to build peer relationships and emotional skills as one way to address that gap. Those efforts, educators say, are intended to increase students’ sense of belonging, which research and local leaders increasingly link to improved attendance and engagement.
What students told leaders
The students’ answers were immediate and specific, offering a checklist for schools seeking to reduce chronic absenteeism:
- Feeling welcomed by teachers and peers.
- Having supportive, kind adults in the classroom.
- Opportunities to learn and discuss new things with classmates.
- Teachers who engage students with humor and personality.
For many adults in the room, the students’ plainspoken priorities reinforced the idea that attendance initiatives should pair academic supports with attention to climate and relationships.
Numbers and what they mean
The District’s academic recovery — ranking first in math and reading gains between 2022 and 2025 on the Education Recovery Scorecard — shows progress in learning outcomes. Yet the almost 40 percent chronic absenteeism figure signals that sizable portions of the student population are still missing substantial in‑class instruction.
| Metric | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| Post‑pandemic academic gains (math & reading, 2022–2025) | 1st nationally |
| Chronic absenteeism (most recent school year) | ~40% |
Local implications and next steps
Educators and advocates said the students’ testimony should influence how the District allocates resources. Interventions that bolster social connection, such as schoolwide relationship‑building programs and increased counseling capacity, may be as important as tutoring and instructional investments.
Family engagement also emerged as critical. Parents and caregivers who attended the panel heard directly from their children and from District officials, building a bridge between household concerns and school policy. The presence of the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Superintendent signals that improving attendance and school climate is a systemwide objective, not solely a local classroom issue.
As D.C. schools continue to celebrate measurable learning gains, the students from Seaton Elementary offered a reminder that academic progress depends on whether children want to be at school in the first place. Their answers — simple and specific — provide a roadmap for educators attempting to translate statewide success into everyday classroom experiences for every child.
The District’s challenge will be to sustain and spread the programs and practices that make those daily experiences welcoming, so the students who showed up and succeeded can be the norm rather than the exception.
