There are a few general truths when it comes to the end of the school year. Students get restless, the weather gets warmer and absence rates rise. And we don’t just mean student absences — teachers and other district employees tend to take more time off in the spring, too.
How do we know this? It’s not just intuition — the Frontline Research and Learning Institute develops reports full of data on absences. Let’s take a look at the report’s key findings and what they could mean for your district.
Key Findings
One thing to keep in mind is that this report is based on data from nearly five thousand educational organizations and over 2.7 million employees. With such a comprehensive data set, these numbers are representative of national norms. But averages can hide variations, so it’s still important to have an effective way to track and manage employee absences within your own district. With that in mind, let’s dive in!
1. More Absences per Employee
Trends in absence data from January through March reveal an increase in absences in the spring. In the instance shown below, the average number of absences per employee jumped from 1.58 to 1.63 — mostly for employees that don’t require a substitute, and mostly on Mondays and Fridays. That’s not to say that every district sees their absence rate increase in the spring — there are wide variations among districts of different sizes and locations.
2. More Vacations, Fewer Sick Days
Data also suggests that reasons for absences change with the seasons. The percentage of absences due to illness tends to fall in the spring while the percentage of absences for vacations tends to rise. That makes sense, as cold and flu season comes to an end and employees are more likely to time off around spring break.
3. Lower Fill Rates
Here’s some bad news. Even though the same percentage of substitutes tend to take jobs in the spring, the increase in absences means that fill rates tend to fall. In the instance shown below, fill rates fell from 89% in January to 84% in March. Like the average number of absences per employee, this can also vary wildly based on district location and size. In particular, rural schools and small urban schools have shown the highest fill rates — while small suburban and very large urban schools have struggled more in the spring.
4. Non-Working Substitutes
The percentage of non-working substitutes tends to remain consistent from winter into spring. In the instance shown below, 61.5% of substitutes did not work in both February and April. As you might expect, districts with more non-working substitutes have lower fill rates.
Taking Action in Your District
Knowing it’s likely that absences will increase and fill rates will decrease in the spring can help you wind down the school year with readiness and confidence. And comparing your own district’s data against national trends can help you make even more strategic decisions. But these aren’t the only statistics you should keep in mind.
