From the brief: "During the 2015-2016 school year, more than 50,000 students (or 9.6% of children) in Connecticut’s public schools met the criteria for being chronically absent (i.e., absent for 10% or more of school days). These numbers represent baseline levels in the state from a time before the COVID-19 global pandemic fundamentally disrupted the practice of schooling, pushing schools and students into emergency remote learning. The Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP) was launched in April of 2021 to address student absenteeism and disengagement from school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in the summer of 2021, home visits were conducted with students identified as chronically absent from a targeted sample of 15 districts throughout Connecticut."