Field trips fight absenteeism: A powerful tool, not just a day off

PHOENIX — For many Arizona students, a school day means desks, textbooks and tests. But for a group of middle schoolers who recently traded their classrooms for Symphony Hall, it meant something different — and educators say that difference matters more than ever.

Chronic absenteeism has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges in Arizona’s public school system. Under state guidelines, missing just 10% of the school year — roughly 18 days — qualifies a student as chronically absent. That threshold matters because absenteeism directly affects enrollment figures, which in turn reduces school funding.

The problem has grown worse in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dr. Beth Maloney, executive director of Act One, a Phoenix-based arts education nonprofit, chronic absenteeism rates across Arizona have doubled in the post-pandemic period.

“Guess when we never had any absences? A field trip day,” said Maloney.

Maloney said the appeal of field trips as an attendance solution is straightforward — but the research behind them runs deeper. Studies show that experiential learning outside the classroom can have a ripple effect on student achievement, attendance rates and dropout prevention.

On a recent morning, students from a Phoenix-area middle school filed into Symphony Hall for a behind-the-scenes look at the Phoenix Symphony — many of them stepping inside the concert hall for the first time. The excitement, educators say, begins well before the curtain rises.

“It really does motivate me to come to school,” said Alani Thorns, an eighth grader on the trip. “It makes me excited because I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The social dimension of these outings plays a role as well. Christian Aquino, another eighth grader, said the shared experience strengthens bonds between classmates. “People can really get close to each other — enjoy that and have it in your memories for a long time,” he said.

As the Phoenix Symphony’s musicians took their seats and the hall fell quiet, the students leaned in — some wide-eyed, others still. Educators said moments like that are not just memorable. They are the reason students come back.

“Sometimes the best way to get students into the classroom,” Maloney said, “is to take the classroom somewhere new.”

Back on campus, teachers work to sustain the momentum. Tamani Ortiz, Dean of Students at Sun Valley Academy in Glendale, said the energy students bring back from these outings is tangible.

“They’re really excited to get outside the classroom and still learn,” Ortiz said.

That enthusiasm, educators argue, is not incidental — it is the point. Field trips give students a reason to look forward to school, and that anticipation can translate into consistent attendance.

Despite their potential, field trips have become increasingly difficult for Arizona schools to fund. Rising transportation costs and tightening district budgets have led some schools to eliminate them altogether. Arts and cultural programming — considered supplemental by many administrators — are often among the first expenses cut.

That is where organizations like Act One step in. The nonprofit works with schools and community partners to cover the full cost of arts field trips, ensuring that a student’s access to these experiences is not determined by a school’s budget.

“Arts and culture sometimes are the first things to go,” Maloney said. “But that’s where we come in. We bridge that gap.”

Act One is also expanding its model for schools that face geographic or logistical barriers. The organization has begun offering virtual reality field trips as an alternative for campuses that cannot travel, allowing students to experience cultural institutions from their own classrooms.

Maloney is careful to frame Act One’s mission in terms of equity, not just enrichment. The organization recognizes that not every student arrives with a pre-existing love of classical music or visual art — and that is not the prerequisite.

“It isn’t always about interest in the arts, but access,” she said.

To extend that access beyond field trip days, Act One also contributes to free cultural passes available for families to check out at Valley public libraries to keep the circle of education in motion year-round.

For more information about Act One’s programs, visit actoneartsaz.org.

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