Education Research Report

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A new, very comprehensive report on New York City's public schools finds a strong correlation between student attendance and performance on statewide math and English tests.

The report released Wednesday by the city's Independent Budget Office says that students who are absent five or fewer days each year pass the tests at a rate more than double that of students who miss 21 or more days a year.

Test scores are also linked to poverty. Students who are poor enough to qualify for free lunch pass the tests at much lower rates than those who are not eligible for subsidized meals.