NCJ Number
206310
Editor(s)
Marilyn Harmacek M.S.S
Date Published
September 2002
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This report outlines the problems of school truancy, suspension, and expulsion and explores effective intervention programs in Colorado that are designed to keep at-risk youth in school.
Abstract
Every school day in Colorado, approximately 70,000 students are out of school; much of this absence is related to truancy, suspensions, or expulsions. Students who stay out of school too long continue to lose momentum at school, leading to further disengagement from school and teachers. School discipline policies that rely on exclusion send the message that troubled students are not wanted, which can exacerbate the problems of at-risk youth. Research has established truancy as a predictor of delinquency and other problem behavior in youths. Colorado’s definition of truancy is enumerated and the link between truancy and delinquency in Colorado is established. In Colorado, over 90 percent of youth in detention have a history of truancy. In search of promising truancy reduction programs, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded a group of communities funding to enhance existing programs or develop new programs to combat truancy locally. Evaluations of these programs have revealed the common characteristics of chronically truant youth and their families, which are marked by high levels of stress. The most widely available services for truant youth involve family support programs, tutoring programs, and mental health services. Three demonstration programs in Colorado are described, as are promising strategies and interventions across the country, such as case management models, teen courts, and Student Attendance Review Board (SARB). Additional innovations in truancy reduction programs that are used at the local level are similarly reviewed, including truancy awareness campaigns, collaborative interventions with local businesses, and incentive programs. Finally, in-school suspension and expulsion programs are explored after a review of zero tolerance policies and their negative outcomes for youth of color. In-school suspension programs generally incorporate an academic focus with attention to the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of the student. At-risk programs target interventions such as attendance monitoring, discipline referrals, and grades at students identified as “at-risk.” Expulsion prevention programs offer academic, family involvement, and mental health services. The staff involved in these types of programs is crucial to establishing positive relationships between adults and youth. Overall, intervention programs for at-risk youth should focus on keeping youth in school to enhance their chances for positive outcomes. Figures, references