Charles Wohlforth-- 
Thanks for bringing up this very important topic. Absenteeism certainly has an impact on student outcomes. That's not all of the story though. According to a 2016 paper from The Hamilton Project, Washington state has a slightly higher rate chronic school absenteeism -- yet the Washington state NAEP test scores from the US Department of Education are still significantly better than Alaska.

Here's a quick comparison of the 2013 NAEP standings between Alaska and Washington, out of 50 states: 
Upper and Middle income: 8th Graders - Reading: AK 42nd, WA 4th     Math: AK 34th, WA 6th
Free and Reduced Lunch   8th Graders - Reading: AK 48th, WA 12th    Math:  AK 38th, WA 10th
Upper and Middle income  4th Graders - Reading: AK 49th, WA 16th    Math: AK 44th, WA 11th
Free and Reduced Lunch   4th Graders - Reading: AK 50th, WA 25th    Math: AK 47th, WA 14th
     

  http://www.hamiltonproject.org/charts/interactive_embed/chronic_school_absenteeism_in_the_united_states