ADA stands for what in Texas education?

• A. Average Daily Attendance
• B. Academic Daily Attendance
• C. Active Daily Attendance
• D. Average District Attendance

Answer: (A)

Average Daily Attendance is the term used in Texas to describe the typical number of students present each day over a set period, usually a school year. This measure matters because state funding and accountability are based on how many students are actually in attendance, not just how many are enrolled.

To calculate it, sum all days of student attendance across the period and divide by the number of school days in that period (counting half-days as half). For example, if a school has 500 students enrolled and the total attendance across all days adds up to 90,000 student-days over the year, with 180 school days, the ADA would be 90,000 ÷ 180 = 500. That means, on average, 500 students attended each day.

This concept differs from enrollment, which is simply how many students are enrolled, regardless of attendance. The other terms listed aren’t standard in Texas for describing attendance used in funding and reporting.