From Perception to Policy: A Qualitative Study of Chronic Absenteeism and Attendance Challenges in Rural High School Settings

Chronic absenteeism remains a persistent challenge for rural high schools because attendance patterns are shaped by school conditions, family circumstances, community realities, and policy expectations. This qualitative doctoral capstone study examined how school staff, parents or guardians, and rural high school principals understood internal school conditions and external contextual factors that contribute to chronic absenteeism in rural high school settings. The study was guided by three research questions focused on internal school conditions, external factors, and how stakeholder perspectives can inform school- and district-level attendance policy. Data was collected through open-ended electronic survey responses, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of five rural high school student handbooks. The final participant pool included 19 participants: seven parents or guardians, seven school staff members, and five rural high school principals. Qualitative thematic analysis identified nine major themes: relational belonging and adult connection, engagement and relevance of the school experience, rural transportation and geographic barriers, economic hardship and instability, competing responsibilities, mental health and health-related barriers, policy inconsistency and implementation gaps, support versus accountability tension, and clear attendance ownership and infrastructure. Findings suggest that chronic absenteeism in rural high schools should be understood as an ecological problem of practice requiring early intervention, family partnership, student connection, consistent communication, and practical supports aligned with rural realities.