NCJ Number
80659
Date Published
1981
Length
89 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations are presented from the evaluation of a California truancy project involving three school districts.
Abstract
The twofold approach of the truancy project was to increase parent awareness of truancy through telephone verification of absences and provide counseling and problemsolving services to individual students. Project counselors and truancy aides assisted individual students through placement in alternative school programs, liaison with juvenile justice agencies, and referral to community agencies. The expected benefits of the truancy projects were improvements in attendance, reductions in juvenile justice involvement, and increases in State financial reimbursements based on attendance. The truancy project was successful in reducing schoolwide excused absences, primarily through telephone verification of absences or informal contacts with students on campus. The resulting increases in State revenue were not sufficient to cover project costs, although specific program elements may be cost effective. For most students involved in truancy, telephone or informal contacts were sufficient to encourage attendance but not for students with chronic attendance problems. Individual counseling and problemsolving efforts directed toward chronic truants did not significantly increase their attendance or reduce delinquency. The expectation that the schools alone could relieve chronic truant behavior may have been unrealistic. Recommendations include the continuation of telephone verification of absences and informal contacts with students and the addressing of the range of factors which are either causes or effects of truancy behavior. Appended are a description of the evaluation methodology, forms used in the project, questionnaires, and additional tables. Tabular data are provided throughout the report, and 16 references are listed.