Health Highlight Report for Colfax County
Public Education - Habitual Truancy: Habitually Truant Students, 2013-2014
Colfax County 10.9%95% Confidence Interval (9.5% - 12.2%)Description of the Confidence IntervalThe confidence interval indicates the range of probable true values for the level of risk in the community.
A value of "DNA" (Data Not Available) will appear if the confidence interval was not published with the IBIS indicator data for this measure.Statistical Stability StableDescription of Statistical Stability- Stable = This count or rate is relatively stable and should provide a good estimate of your community risk.
- Unstable = This count or rate is statistically unstable (RSE >0.30), and may fluctuate widely due to random variation (chance).
- Very Unstable = This count or rate is extremely unstable (RSE >0.50). This value should not be used to represent your population risk. You should combine years or otherwise increase the population denominator in this calculation.
- DNA = Data Not Available. The required community value and/or confidence interval was not available for this measure.
New Mexico 15.5%U.S. DNA DNA=Data not available.Colfax County Compared to State
Description of Dashboard GaugeDescription of the Dashboard Gauge
This "dashboard" type graphic is based on the community data on the right. It compares the community value on this indicator to the state overall value.- Excellent = The community's value on this indicator is BETTER than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
- Watch = The community's value is BETTER than state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Improvement Needed = The community's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Reason for Concern = The community's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
The community value is considered statistically significantly different from the state value if the state value is outside the range of the community's 95% confidence interval. If the community's data or 95% confidence interval information is not available, a blank gauge image will be displayed with the message, "missing information."NOTE: The labels used on the gauge graphic are meant to describe the community's status in plain language. The placement of the gauge needle is based solely on the statistical difference between the community and state values. When selecting priority health issues to work on, a community should take into account additional factors such as how much improvement could be made, the U.S. value, the statistical stability of the community number, the severity of the health condition, and whether the difference is clinically significant.
Why Is This Important?
School attendance impacts school achievement and college or career readiness. Chronic absenteeism can be an indicator of difficult circumstances in a student's life. Frequent school absences are associated with risk behaviors and habitual absenteeism can be a predictor of dropping out. As a signal of other potential issues, habitual truancy is an important point of intervention.Healthy People Objective AH-5.6:
Decrease school absenteeism among adolescents due to illness or injuryU.S. Target: 13.1 percent
Note
County level estimates based on school district percentages. Due to imperfect school district and county boundary correspondence, school districts corresponding to multiple counties were assigned to county based on the county location of the majority of schools in the district. This estimation results in a slight overestimation of percentages for Dona Ana, and Rio Arriba counties and a slight underestimation for Otero, Sandoval, and Torrance counties. This estimation also results in a potential discrepancy for Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties.Data Sources
New Mexico Public Education Department, Jerry Apodaca Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe NM 87501. Phone: (505)827-5800. Website: www.ped.state.nm.us.Measure Description for Public Education - Habitual Truancy
Definition: The percentage of students classified as habitually truant. Habitually truant refers to a student who has accumulated the equivalent of ten or more unexcused absences within a school year. Unexcused absence is an absence from school or a class for which the student does not have an allowable excuse.
Numerator: The number of students classified as habitually truant.
Denominator: The number of enrolled students.
