| Subgroup | Enrollment | Chronic Count | Chronic Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 2855 | 1028 | 36.0 |
| MALE | 1393 | 521 | 37.4 |
| FEMALE | 1462 | 507 | 34.7 |
| HISPANIC | 1210 | 604 | 49.9 |
| WHITE | 799 | 215 | 26.9 |
| ASIAN | 414 | 52 | 12.6 |
| BLACK | 291 | 117 | 40.2 |
| ELL | 889 | 472 | 53.1 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 1561 | 746 | 47.8 |
| DISABILITY | 350 | 188 | 53.7 |
San Jose Unified Chronic Absence Analysis
District Overview
Basic Enrollment and Chronic Absence Metrics
Current Year: 2023
In 2023, San Jose Unified enrolled 2855 students across 13 schools. Of these students, 1028 were chronically absent, representing a district-wide chronic absence rate of 36%.
The district’s student population includes 1393 male students (48.8% of total enrollment) and 1462 female students (51.2% of total enrollment). Among male students, 521 were chronically absent, yielding a chronic absence rate of 37.4%. Female students had 507 chronically absent, resulting in a chronic absence rate of 34.7%.
Hispanic students represent 1210 students (42.4% of district enrollment) with 604 chronically absent students and a chronic absence rate of 49.9%. White students number 799 (28% of enrollment) with 215 chronically absent and a rate of 26.9%.
English language learners comprise 889 students (31.1% of total enrollment). Among this population, 472 students were chronically absent, producing a chronic absence rate of 53.1%. Economically disadvantaged students total 1561 (54.7% of enrollment) with 746 chronically absent students and a rate of 47.8%.
The average school in the district enrolled 220 students. Chronic absence affected students across all demographic groups, with rates ranging from 12.6% to 53.7% across subgroups. These patterns reflect both the scale and distribution of chronic absence challenges within San Jose Unified.
District Totals by Subgroup
School-Level Variance
Chronic absence rates varied across the 13 schools in the district. The school with the lowest chronic absence rate recorded 29.7% while the highest rate was 42.1%. This represents a range of 12.4 percentage points between the lowest and highest performing schools. The standard deviation of school rates was 3.4 percentage points across all schools.
The first quartile of schools had chronic absence rates at or below 34.4%. The third quartile threshold was 36.5%. The interquartile range spanned 2.1 percentage points, indicating the spread of rates among the middle 50% of schools. Half of all schools fell between these quartile boundaries.
Among demographic subgroups, DISABILITY students showed the highest variance across schools with a standard deviation of 10.75 percentage points. FEMALE students demonstrated the lowest variance with a standard deviation of 4.09 percentage points. This difference indicates that some subgroups experience more uniform chronic absence patterns across schools than others.
The district-wide average chronic absence rate was 36%. Schools in the upper quartile exceeded this average by 0.5 percentage points. Schools in the lower quartile fell below the average by 1.6 percentage points. The gap between high-performing and low-performing schools represents 34% of the district average rate.
These patterns demonstrate the distribution of chronic absence across the district’s school system. Some schools serve student populations with chronic absence rates well below the district average. Other schools face chronic absence rates that exceed the district norm by substantial margins.
| Subgroup | SD (%) | Min (%) | Max (%) | Q25 (%) | Q75 (%) | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 3.40 | 29.7 | 42.1 | 34.4 | 36.5 | 13 |
| MALE | 4.26 | 28.2 | 43.6 | 35.6 | 40.4 | 13 |
| FEMALE | 4.09 | 27.9 | 41.7 | 31.0 | 36.4 | 13 |
| HISPANIC | 6.31 | 41.4 | 59.8 | 44.2 | 55.7 | 13 |
| WHITE | 5.24 | 19.0 | 39.6 | 24.4 | 29.4 | 13 |
| ASIAN | 7.88 | 0.0 | 24.1 | 9.7 | 17.1 | 13 |
| BLACK | 7.49 | 31.6 | 55.0 | 36.8 | 42.1 | 13 |
| ELL | 5.55 | 42.5 | 61.5 | 49.2 | 57.6 | 13 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 4.98 | 39.5 | 57.7 | 45.0 | 51.3 | 13 |
| DISABILITY | 10.75 | 40.7 | 84.2 | 47.6 | 59.1 | 13 |
Year-over-Year Changes
From 2022 to 2023 , total district enrollment changed from 3341 to 2855 students. This represents an enrollment change of -486 students. The number of chronically absent students changed from 1224 in 2022 to 1028 in 2023 . This represents a change of -196 chronically absent students.
The district chronic absence rate changed from 36.6 % in 2022 to 36 % in 2023 . This represents a change of -0.6 percentage points. The district experienced a decrease in chronic absence rate.
Among demographic subgroups, HISPANIC students had the largest rate increase at 2.7 percentage points. FEMALE students had the smallest rate change at -2.3 percentage points. Subgroup rate changes ranged from -2.3 to 2.7 percentage points. This represents a 5 percentage point spread in rate changes across demographic groups.
The standard deviation of school chronic absence rates changed by 0.07 percentage points. This indicates increased variation among schools. The first quartile of school rates changed by 0.3 percentage points. The third quartile of school rates changed by -2.4 percentage points. The gap between high and low performing schools decreased by 2.7 percentage points.
State and Peer Comparisons
State Average Comparisons
In 2023, San Jose Unified had an overall chronic absence rate of 36% compared to the state average of 34.5%. This represents a gap of 1.5 percentage points above the state average.
The district’s chronic absence rate exceeded the state average.
Male students in the district had a chronic absence rate of 37.4% compared to the state average of 34.5% for male students. This represents a gap of 2.9 percentage points above the state average for this subgroup. Female students had a rate of 34.7% compared to the state average of 34.5% for female students. The gap for female students was 0.2 percentage points above the state average.
Among demographic subgroups, HISPANIC students had the largest gap above the state average at 3.9 percentage points. ASIAN students had the gap furthest below the state average at -3.3 percentage points. The range of gaps across subgroups spanned 7.2 percentage points. Of the demographic subgroups analyzed, 7 had chronic absence rates above the state average for their subgroup. 2 subgroups had rates below the state average. No subgroups matched the state average exactly.
District vs State Average Gap (Percentage Points)
| SUBGROUP | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.8 | -0.6 | 1.5 |
| MALE | 0.4 | 0.1 | -0.5 | -0.9 | 2.9 |
| FEMALE | -0.2 | -0.1 | 2.0 | -0.3 | 0.2 |
| HISPANIC | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | -1.8 | 3.9 |
| WHITE | -1.9 | -1.0 | 0.1 | -1.5 | 1.1 |
| ASIAN | -1.0 | -1.5 | -0.7 | 0.2 | -3.3 |
| BLACK | 3.3 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 5.7 | -0.9 |
| ELL | -0.4 | 1.3 | -0.7 | -0.4 | 3.3 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.8 | -0.7 | 3.0 |
| DISABILITY | 2.0 | -1.7 | -2.4 | 0.3 | 1.5 |
District Rankings
Among 964 districts statewide, San Jose Unified ranked 908 for overall chronic absence rate in 2023. This places the district at the 94.2th percentile. A ranking of 908 means 907 districts had lower chronic absence rates. 56 districts had higher chronic absence rates than San Jose Unified.
Male students in the district ranked 949 statewide, placing them at the 98.4th percentile among districts. Female students ranked 545 statewide at the 56.5th percentile. Hispanic students ranked 962 with a percentile of 99.8. White students ranked 721 at the 74.8th percentile.
The district’s best ranking among subgroups was for ASIAN students at rank 32 (percentile 3.3). The district’s highest ranking was for HISPANIC students at rank 962 (percentile 99.8). Rankings ranged from 32 to 962 across demographic subgroups. This represents a spread of 930 positions between the best and worst performing subgroups. The median ranking across all demographic subgroups was 721.
District Percentiles by Subgroup
| SUBGROUP | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 56.7 | 50.9 | 82.3 | 21.2 | 94.2 |
| MALE | 65.6 | 54.9 | 32.0 | 22.1 | 98.4 |
| FEMALE | 41.9 | 46.9 | 96.4 | 38.0 | 56.5 |
| HISPANIC | 82.3 | 80.4 | 73.2 | 10.2 | 99.8 |
| WHITE | 4.9 | 21.4 | 52.0 | 16.0 | 74.8 |
| ASIAN | 20.1 | 13.8 | 35.9 | 54.8 | 3.3 |
| BLACK | 91.5 | 71.7 | 96.0 | 96.6 | 38.9 |
| ELL | 40.2 | 81.3 | 31.5 | 39.0 | 97.8 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 57.4 | 61.4 | 95.5 | 27.8 | 99.4 |
| DISABILITY | 80.8 | 23.8 | 16.6 | 55.4 | 69.6 |
Peer District Comparisons
San Jose Unified is classified as a LARGE district based on enrollment size. Compared to other LARGE districts, San Jose Unified had a chronic absence rate of 36% versus the peer group average of 34.5% in 2023. This represents a gap of 1.5 percentage points above the peer district average.
The district’s chronic absence rate exceeded the peer district average.
Male students in the district had a chronic absence rate of 37.4% compared to 34.6% among peer districts. This gap of 2.8 percentage points places male students above the peer average. Female students had a rate of 34.7% compared to the peer average of 34.4%. The gap for female students was 0.3 percentage points above the peer average.
Among demographic subgroups, HISPANIC students had the largest gap above the peer average at 3.9 percentage points. ASIAN students had the gap furthest below the peer average at -3.3 percentage points. The range of gaps across subgroups compared to peer districts spanned 7.2 percentage points. Of the demographic subgroups analyzed, 7 had chronic absence rates above the peer district average. 2 subgroups had rates below the peer average. No subgroups matched the peer average exactly.
District vs Peer Average Gap (Percentage Points)
| SUBGROUP | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.8 | -0.6 | 1.5 |
| MALE | 0.4 | 0.1 | -0.5 | -0.9 | 2.8 |
| FEMALE | -0.2 | -0.1 | 2.0 | -0.3 | 0.3 |
| HISPANIC | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | -1.9 | 3.9 |
| WHITE | -2.0 | -1.0 | 0.1 | -1.5 | 1.1 |
| ASIAN | -0.9 | -1.5 | -0.6 | 0.3 | -3.3 |
| BLACK | 3.2 | 1.4 | 4.2 | 5.7 | -1.1 |
| ELL | -0.4 | 1.3 | -0.7 | -0.4 | 3.3 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.8 | -0.8 | 3.0 |
| DISABILITY | 2.1 | -1.7 | -2.3 | 0.4 | 1.6 |
School-Level Patterns
Distribution of Chronic Absence Rates
Chronic absence rates in 2023 ranged from 29.7% at San Jose Unified School 1 to 42.1% at San Jose Unified School 13. This represents a range of 12.4 percentage points across the district’s 13 schools. The median school chronic absence rate was 36% while the mean rate was 36.1%. The standard deviation of school rates was 3.4 percentage points.
The first quartile of schools had chronic absence rates at or below 34.4%. The third quartile threshold was 36.5%. The interquartile range spanned 2.1 percentage points. Half of all schools had chronic absence rates between these quartile boundaries.
Schools were distributed across performance levels as follows: 0 schools had rates below 10%, 0 schools had rates between 10% and 20%, 1 schools had rates between 20% and 30%, and 12 schools had rates above 30%. The district average chronic absence rate was 36%. 7 schools exceeded this average while 6 schools fell below the average. 1 schools matched the district average exactly.
Schools enrolled an average of 220 students each. The total district enrollment of 2855 students included 1028 chronically absent students. Individual school enrollment ranged from 191 to 273 students. The largest schools served 1.4 times as many students as the smallest schools.
School Rate Standard Deviations by Subgroup (Percentage Points)
| SUBGROUP | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 2.10 | 2.59 | 2.49 | 3.33 | 3.40 |
| MALE | 4.88 | 4.11 | 4.06 | 5.41 | 4.26 |
| FEMALE | 2.36 | 4.70 | 3.26 | 4.18 | 4.09 |
| HISPANIC | 4.38 | 4.94 | 4.16 | 5.24 | 6.31 |
| WHITE | 4.14 | 4.19 | 4.15 | 4.31 | 5.24 |
| ASIAN | 3.87 | 4.66 | 4.86 | 6.88 | 7.88 |
| BLACK | 7.89 | 8.86 | 7.67 | 8.95 | 7.49 |
| ELL | 4.86 | 5.50 | 5.48 | 6.23 | 5.55 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 3.63 | 2.61 | 4.09 | 4.19 | 4.98 |
| DISABILITY | 7.57 | 9.70 | 6.98 | 7.37 | 10.75 |
School-by-School Breakdown
The school with the highest number of chronically absent students was San Jose Unified School 11 with 94 chronically absent students out of 273 enrolled. This represents a chronic absence rate of 34.4% at this school. The top 10 schools by chronic absence count accounted for 820 chronically absent students, representing 79.8% of all district chronic absence. The top 5 schools alone accounted for 431 chronically absent students, or 41.9% of the district total.
Among the top 10 schools by chronic absence count, the number of chronically absent students ranged from 76 to 94. These schools had enrollments ranging from 191 to 273 students. Chronic absence rates at these schools ranged from 33.9% to 42.1%. The average chronic absence rate among these 10 schools was 37.2%.
Top 5 School Rankings Within District
| School Name | Enrollment | Chronic Count | Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose Unified School 13 | 216 | 91 | 42.1 |
| San Jose Unified School 8 | 191 | 78 | 40.8 |
| San Jose Unified School 12 | 205 | 82 | 40.0 |
| San Jose Unified School 6 | 211 | 77 | 36.5 |
| San Jose Unified School 2 | 214 | 78 | 36.4 |
Grade-Level Patterns
Chronic Absence Rates by Grade Level
Chronic absence rates varied across 8 grade levels in 2023. Grade 2 had the highest chronic absence rate at 41.9% with 54 chronically absent students out of 129 enrolled. Grade 3 had the lowest rate at 33% with 69 chronically absent students out of 209 enrolled. This represents a range of 8.9 percentage points between the highest and lowest performing grades.
The mean chronic absence rate across grade levels was 36.4% while the median rate was 35.7%. The standard deviation of grade-level rates was 2.88 percentage points. Total enrollment across all grades was 2855 students with 1028 chronically absent. This yielded an overall rate of 36% across all grade levels combined.
Grade 6 had the largest enrollment with 671 students. Grade 1 had the smallest enrollment with 83 students. The difference between the largest and smallest grade enrollments was 588 students. Enrollment varied by a factor of 8.1 between the largest and smallest grades.
The district average chronic absence rate was 36%. 3 grades exceeded this average while 5 grades fell below the average. No grades matched the district average exactly.
Grade-Level Chronic Absence Rates by Year (%)
| GRADE_DISPLAY | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 27.4 | 34.6 | 40.9 | 34.2 | 34.9 |
| Grade 2 | 25.2 | 27.8 | 45.1 | 37.2 | 41.9 |
| Grade 3 | 28.3 | 28.1 | 44.7 | 42.4 | 33.0 |
| Grade 4 | 27.8 | 30.2 | 43.7 | 42.3 | 38.3 |
| Grade 5 | 26.7 | 28.8 | 44.5 | 35.3 | 35.5 |
| Grade 6 | NA | 25.9 | 43.0 | 37.3 | 35.9 |
| Grade 7 | NA | 31.9 | 41.5 | 35.5 | 33.5 |
| Grade 8 | NA | NA | 40.4 | 34.7 | 37.8 |
Grade-Level Trends Over Time
From 2022 to 2023 , grade-level chronic absence rates showed varying patterns of change. Grade 2 had the largest rate increase at 4.6 percentage points. Enrollment in Grade 2 changed by -16 students during this period. Grade 3 had the largest rate change in the opposite direction at -9.3 percentage points. Enrollment in Grade 3 changed by -20 students.
Of the 8 grades with data, 4 experienced rate increases. 4 grades experienced rate decreases. Rate changes across grades ranged from -9.3 to 4.6 percentage points. This represents a spread of 14 percentage points in rate changes across grade levels. The average enrollment change across grades was -61 students. The average rate change across grades was -1 percentage points.
School Contributions to District Totals
School Contributions to District Chronic Absence
San Jose Unified School 11 contributed the largest share of district chronic absence with 94 chronically absent students, representing 9.1% of all district chronic absence. This school enrolled 273 students, accounting for 9.6% of total district enrollment. The chronic absence contribution of 9.1% compared to an enrollment share of 9.6% indicates this school contributed 0.95 times its proportional share based on enrollment.
The top 5 schools by chronic absence contribution accounted for 431 chronically absent students, representing 41.9% of district chronic absence. These schools enrolled 1161 students, or 40.7% of district enrollment. The top 10 schools contributed 820 chronically absent students, representing 79.8% of all district chronic absence while accounting for 77.5% of enrollment.
San Jose Unified School 1 contributed the smallest share with 68 chronically absent students, representing 6.6% of district chronic absence. This school enrolled 229 students, accounting for 8% of district enrollment. The range of chronic absence contributions spanned from 6.6% to 9.1%, a difference of 2.5 percentage points. Enrollment shares ranged from 6.7% to 9.6%, a difference of 2.9 percentage points.
7 schools contributed a higher share of chronic absence than their enrollment share would suggest. 6 schools contributed chronic absence shares equal to or less than their enrollment proportions. The average ratio of chronic absence share to enrollment share across all schools was 1. Schools with ratios above 1.0 contributed disproportionately to district chronic absence relative to their size.
Among demographic subgroups, ASIAN students showed the highest average contribution ratio at 1.02 . WHITE students had the lowest average ratio at 1 . This indicates variation in how different demographic groups contribute to chronic absence across schools.
School Contribution Ratios by Subgroup
| SUBGROUP | San Jose Unified School 11 | San Jose Unified School 13 | San Jose Unified School 3 | San Jose Unified School 7 | San Jose Unified School 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL | 0.96 | 1.17 | 0.94 | 1.01 | 1.11 |
| MALE | 0.92 | 1.14 | 0.85 | 1.08 | 1.03 |
| FEMALE | 1.00 | 1.20 | 1.03 | 0.95 | 1.19 |
| HISPANIC | 0.89 | 1.20 | 1.14 | 0.97 | 1.09 |
| WHITE | 1.03 | 1.11 | 0.99 | 0.91 | 1.03 |
| ASIAN | 0.84 | 1.77 | 0.00 | 1.36 | 1.92 |
| BLACK | 0.96 | 1.02 | 0.79 | 1.01 | 0.79 |
| ELL | 0.92 | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.01 | 1.16 |
| DISADVANTAGE | 0.92 | 1.21 | 0.95 | 1.08 | 1.11 |