NCJ Number
243338
Date Published
September 2012
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of the evaluation of the pilot program for the District of Columbia's Truancy Case Management Partnership Initiative.
Abstract
The pilot program for the District of Columbia's Truancy Case Management Partnership Initiative (CMPI) was implemented during the 2011-2012 school year. The program was implemented at the two high schools in the District with the highest truancy rates among all District of Columbia public schools. The CMPI is a truancy intervention program aimed at reducing truancy rates among students by linking truants and their families to key services and case management. Findings from the evaluation of the pilot program for the CMPI suggest that the CMPI interagency partnership has been effective in creating the service linkage needed for participating students and their families; the linkage model worked as intended to link the families of chronic truants to the services they need to stop existing truant behavior in their children; and the families that participated in the pilot program were found to have substantial needs, validating the strategy of linking the families to available services. However, the findings did not indicate that the program was able to reduce truancy rates among program participants. Recommendations for improving and strengthening the program are discussed and include starting the program before ninth grade, explore modifications to its eligibility criteria, and evaluate the key drivers behind students' chronic truancy to more effectively link services for families. Tables, figures, and references