PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Dan McKee, Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) Executive Director Todd Trebour today announced the findings of a new statistical review revealing a strong association between sustained participation in arts education and lower rates of chronic absenteeism among Rhode Island public school students.
The study, Chronic Absenteeism and Arts Participation in Rhode Island Public Schools: A Statistical Review, was commissioned by RISCA with the goal of answering the question: "Do arts students have lower chronic absenteeism rates than non-arts students?"
Students are considered chronically absent if they miss at least 10 percent of the school year.
As part of the Arts Education Data Project, researchers at Quadrant found, from 2018 to 2025, arts participation was associated with lower absenteeism rates in grades K–12. Specifically, the study revealed that R.I. high school seniors who participated in arts education between 2021 and 2025 averaged about 19 percent lower chronic absenteeism rate than their classmates.
There is, on average, a more than 20 percentage-point achievement gap between students who are chronically absent and their peers who are not. These gaps also persist in graduation rates, with a nearly 40 percentage-point gap among graduation rates for students who are chronically absent throughout their high school years and their peers who were not chronically absent.
Additionally, the strongest correlation between arts education and reduced absenteeism was observed to be those seniors participating in four years of music instruction. The results reported rates of nearly 35 percent to about 59 percent lower than ones without sustained music participation. The pattern strengthens with duration: Three years of middle school music participation was associated with rates 23 percent lower on average, and seven consecutive years across grades 6 through 12 were associated with rates 49 percent lower in the 2025 senior class.
The most robust attendance benefits appeared tied to sustained and consistent arts participation rather than single-course enrollment. Attendance advantages were especially notable among historically underserved student populations. "Rhode Island continues to be a leader in reducing chronic absenteeism, and this latest study shows the important role arts education can play in that effort," said Governor Dan McKee. "By increasing time in school, and by offering more out of school learning opportunities, we are raising student achievement levels throughout Rhode Island."
The relationship between arts education and reduced absenteeism holds across nearly every demographic subgroup examined, including students with disabilities, multilingual learners and students from historically underserved communities.
"When students have opportunities to explore their creativity, develop their talents, and connect with learning in meaningful ways, they are more likely to come to school and thrive, "Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said. "These findings suggest that consistent access to arts education may play an important role in helping students stay engaged in school, particularly for students and communities most impacted by chronic absenteeism. Through our Attendance Matters RI campaign, we have reduced chronic absenteeism statewide by more than 14 percentage points from its peak, helping students regain 4.4 million hours of learning time, and we remain committed to building on that progress."
Rhode Island has garnered national and international recognition for its comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to reducing chronic absenteeism. Through the Attendance Matters RI initiative, state agencies, schools, educators, families and community and business partners have worked together to improve student attendance and engagement.
The R.I. Department of Education's efforts have been strengthened by innovative data tools, including a first-of-its-kind Attendance Leaderboard and Attendance Heat Map, which provide timely insights to help schools identify trends, target supports and drive continuous improvement. Attendance dashboards, data resources, information materials and additional tools are available at AttendanceMattersRI.org.
The study examined several levels of arts participation, from single-year enrollment to consistent multi-year involvement. While general arts enrollment at the K–12 level was associated with lower absenteeism across all the years studied, the strongest outcomes appeared among the seniors with four consecutive years of participation in arts education.
"The arts create pathways for students to connect, collaborate and see themselves reflected in their education," said Todd Trebour, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. "What is especially compelling about this study is the consistency of the findings across multiple years and student groups. The data suggest that long-term engagement in arts learning may be a meaningful contributor to overall school connectedness."
The researchers are recommending further investigation into sustained arts participation as part of the state's broader strategy to improve student engagement. The report was conducted by Quadrant Research using Rhode Island student-level data from 2018 through 2025 provided by RIDE. The data can be viewed on RISCA's Arts Data Dashboard, a participant of the Arts Education Data Project.
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. Visit www.arts.ri.gov for more information. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is committed to ensuring all students are prepared for success in college, career, and life. In partnership with local education agencies, educators, families, and community organizations, RIDE works to advance educational excellence, equity, and opportunity for every learner. Through innovative programs, data-driven decision making, and a focus on student achievement and well-being, RIDE supports schools across Rhode Island in providing high-quality learning experiences that help all students thrive.
The Arts Education Data Project is a partnership between the State Education Agencies Directors of Arts Education and Quadrant Research. The nationwide project coordinates with participating state departments of education to collect and report arts education data from State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) and other state department of education datasets annually. National funding for the Arts Education Data Project has been provided by: CMA Foundation, The Music Man Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council.