BALTIMORE (AP) - A new study from Johns Hopkins University says crime-ridden commutes correlate with higher rates of student absenteeism in Baltimore.
The study’s lead author, sociologist Julia Burdick-Will, tells The Baltimore Sun that students prioritizing safety over attendance “have a clear disadvantage.” Researchers say students who commute through areas with double Baltimore’s average amount of crime are 6 percent more likely to miss class.
Baltimore has the state’s highest rate of chronic absenteeism, which has been linked to a high drop-out risk. The research team conducted the study released Wednesday by pairing Baltimore police department crime data with models of the most efficient public transportation routes to the city’s public high schools. The city doesn’t rely on traditional yellow buses for older students, and instead gives some of them public transportation cards.
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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com
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