This report assists readers in understanding and identifying chronic school absenteeism among Tribal youth in school year 2013-14, to assist in developing successful truancy prevention and resource program development.
In assisting readers to understand issues of chronic absenteeism, truancy, prevention, and intervention processes, this report addresses historic education policy and contemporary approaches used by Tribal communities to prevent and address truancy among tribal youth and highlights helpful community-based approaches that support delinquency prevention program development. This publication will direct readers to existing resources and information that may support new or developing truancy prevention programs. In addition, it includes strategic planning activities to support individual consideration or team development of a truancy prevention program. Case studies are provided for illustrative purposes only. This report does not intend to provide a “one-size fits all” approach, since Tribal communities, youth, and individual families differ in strengths, needs, applicable systems, geography, and jurisdictional locales. It is important, therefore, for community prevention stakeholders to identify the system processes that will best serve the youth within their local community. It is essential for those involved in program development for Tribal youth to remain engaged with partners and participate in supportive training and education to ensure that programs are targeted to support local community youth and incorporate developmentally appropriate interventions. For the purposes of community-based planning, this document focuses on the contemporary issues related to prevention program development to support American Indian and Alaska Native education policy implications, including those of the development of government boarding schools.