Average Daily Attendance (ADA) is important to school districts based on the per pupil disbursement of school funding. Every decrease in ADA translates into a decrease in the amount of money school districts receive from the state and local government. Testing anthropological theories of minority schooling motivation, I argue that ADA is influenced by increases in the percentage of each ethnic group. Exclusively using California Department of Education Data and quantile regression estimation, I find that Hispanics and White students increase ADA while Black students decrease ADA. Asian students have mixed effects on ADA depending on the school district they are enrolled in. A detailed explanation of quantile regression and policy recommendations related to ADA are discussed.
