 |
|
|
|
Welcome Letter from the Director
Welcome! The National Center for School Engagement (NCSE)
produces this monthly e-newsletter to provide information and
resources on school attendance, attachment and
achievement. It is designed to increase
awareness and understanding of issues that affect school completion
and school success. The focus of this edition is on school
attendance and truancy. Featured
this month is an article on St. Louis County Truancy Court,
which highlights their success in reducing school absenteeism
and demonstrates how community collaborations can make a positive
difference for truant students and their families. A parent's
perspective on problems related to school attendance is also included
in this e-newsletter. It reminds us how important it is
to individualize services and support for students and their families.
Judith
Martinez, Director of NCSE
Often when I read a report about chronic school absences or barriers
to school attendance, I think about the impact that truancy has
on families and communities. Over ten years of research
shows that truancy is one of the early warning signs that a student
is headed for potential delinquent activity, social isolation,
or educational failure. I've seen firsthand how educators,
parents, and judges, who when faced with truancy, struggle to
find solutions that will lead a student back to the classroom.
NCSE has taken a lead in identifying effective prevention and
intervention strategies to improve school attendance as part of
an integrated approach to achieve school success. We now
have a better understanding of what works. For example,
it has been determined that effective truancy reduction programs
include these components:
- Parent/guardian
involvement or whole family involvement.
- A
continuum of supports, including meaningful incentives for good
attendance and consequences for poor attendance.
- Collaboration
among community actors such as law enforcement, mental health
workers, mentors, and social service providers, in addition
to educators.
- Concrete
and measurable goals for program performance and student performance,
with good record keeping and on-going evaluation of progress
toward those goals.
For
a complete list, link to:
http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/
Admin/Resources/Resources/40.pdf
I
encourage you to share the information included in this month's
e-newsletter with your schools and communities. To learn
more about school attendance and truancy, download the following
articles and reports available on the NCSE website:
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The St. Louis Country Truancy Court is repeatedly
recognized as a best practice for truancy prevention. Since
its founding with one pilot school in 2000, over 800 students
have been served by the program in a total of 13 school districts.
Its mission is "to instill hope, increase student attendance,
enhance academic achievement, and reduce delinquent behavior through
a proactive partnership of the courts, schools, and families."
The
St. Louis County Truancy Court judges gather to congratulate Mary
Russel upon her appointment to the Missouri Supreme Court.
Judge Russell served as a truancy court judge in Kirkwood, Mo,
and planned to start a truancy court in Jefferson City when she
moved to the capitol.
The Truancy Court
is a collaboration of many partners - schools, family court, local
organizations, and volunteer judges from the community.
Families too are partners in this diversion program. The
services they provide help keep students engaged and successful
in school:
- Schools
select students based on attendance and behavior; parents
consent for the child to participate.
-
A volunteer judge meets each student individually in weekly
"court" sessions at school for 10-12 weeks.
- Parents
are invited and encouraged to attend.
- Teachers
send weekly reports, updating student progress.
- Students
sign a weekly contract with the judge.
- A
"family advocate," usually a school counselor or social
worker, sits at the bench and follows up on items discussed.
-
A Deputy juvenile officer from the family court leads the other
students in discussion of character development, or goal setting
activities.
- Additional
activities are offered to engage family-field trips, family
fun nights, and a "graduation" upon completion.
Over
70 Truancy Court team members attended the annual
training retreat in
March 2005. Team members include judges, deputy officers,
and school staff from nine school districts in St. Louis County.
Schools
extend services to program "alumni" in a variety of
ways, from arranging weekly groups the semester following truancy
court, to individual meetings with the school counselor.
A
three-year study by the University of Missouri - St. Louis showed
that truancy court students reduced absenteeism by 44%.
The program awarded the prestigious Focus St. Louis What's
Right with the Region Award in 2002. Collaboration
members presented
at the first national truancy conference, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education, in 2004.
Another measure of success is what participants had to say about
the program. Ninety-five percent of students reported positive
changes in their behavior since starting Truancy Court.
Parents also have responded positively to the program. One
commented: "[My child and I] went from waking up on
a bad note to having fun in the morning."
St.
Louis Truancy Court has a limited number of introductory videotapes
and training manuals available for groups wishing to start their
own truancy court program. To request these materials, contact
truancycourt@yahoo.com.
A
Parent's Perspective
By
Sheri McMahon of North Dakota
A
recent Google search using the terms "school refusal",
"adolescent", and "anxiety" turned up some
interesting results. Using the phrase "school refusal"
provides a wealth of resources from medical sources. I think truancy
prevention needs to conceptualize truancy as a symptom rather
than the primary problem, and these resources help a great deal.
First
of all, truancy can be distinguished from school refusal. School
refusal means the same thing as school phobia. School refusal
was a British term for school phobia and is beginning to be used
more in the U.S. A possible decisive factor for distinguishing
between the two concepts is whether parents are aware the student
is absent. Our school district's policy, for example, refers to
absence without "parent and or principal's" permission,
leading to some legal ambiguity--not to mention potential conflict
of interest--when the courts rely solely on the school's determination
whether absences constitute truancy. Sources note, however, that
the factor is not perfect. Working parents may not know a student
who is refusing school is at home. School refusers may develop
secondary truancy patterns (avoiding school, but then getting
involved with outside activities that reinforce truancy). School
refusers who are avoiding school bullies may leave the house but
hide until school is out
Parental
separation anxiety can be a factor in the student's separation
anxiety. Separation anxiety is a frequent cause of school refusal.
However, parent and student must be looked at individually and
separately. Just because the parent experiences separation anxiety
(or any other medical condition or other issue) does not mean
the parent is not taking active steps to separate his or her anxiety
from the parent's child.
Depression
and other anxiety disorders are commonly associated with school
refusal. Generally, truancy (as distinguished from school refusal)
is more likely associated with conduct disorders. Residential
or special schools are rarely needed to address school refusal.
However, treating school refusal seems likely to require involvement
by a psychiatrist and/or psychologist. Systematic desensitization
is often effective within several weeks' time. Systematic desensitization
includes gradually re-introducing the child to school, making
sure that aversive consequences do not interfere with re-entry;
sometimes arranging for the parent to stay at the school with
the child initially--these are strategies that can likely go against
the grain of school culture and operations. Parents accompanying
their children to school and staying at school would in many cases
have to be backed up by a health care professional in order to
gain acceptance by teachers.
The
opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent
those of the National Center for School Engagement.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
During
May and June 2005, Listserv participants shared resources and
information on best practices to address truancy issues. Highlighted
is information from California, Colorado, South Carolina and Texas:
School
attendance review boards in California are equipped
to address attendance issues and handle classroom discipline problems
as well. Go to www.cde.ca.gov,
search by SARB, to find legal cites and practice procedures.
The
Pueblo County Truancy Court in Colorado
is making gains in reducing truancy. The Pueblo Truancy Court
Judge and Magistrate are very active in the schools, and do not
take a punitive approach when addressing the truancy issues.
Very rarely do they place students in the Detention Center for
truancy. The Judge and Magistrate give out incentives to
the students who are improving their grades and attendance.
The incentives are donated by the Pueblo, Colorado community and
are not only given to the students for improved behavior,
but also to the parents for making the progress with their child.
In Pueblo they have a positive team who works with the family
when truancy issues begin, they are school based community advocates,
Department of Social Services Social Workers, Mental Health people
and the Alternative to Detention Staff along with the Principal
and Assistant Principal of the schools. Their data
shows that they have truly made a huge difference in attacking
truancy. For more information contact:
Terri
Martinez-McGraw, Project Respect Director
and Assistant Principal Keating Education Center -
tmartine@pueblo60.k12.co.us.
"Think Twice,
Think Right", this video was produced by the South Carolina
Department of Justice, and is based on actual juvenile
cases. It depicts simulated juvenile crimes, the perpetrators,
personal testimony, and shows what life in a juvenile jail is
all about. School districts were given permission to copy
and use the video. In South Carolina it is shown as part
of pre-court intervention for truants or students with poor attendance,
youth court respondents, and parents.
To order
a copy or for more information contact:
Lessie
F. Penn, Attendance Supervisor and Youth Court Director, Telephone:
843-832-7880 or 843-832-5500.
email:
lpenn@dorchester2.k12.sc.us.
Note
to Truancy Listserv participants: If you already requested
a copy of this video, you should be receiving it in the near future.
Eastfield College,
a campus
within the Dallas County Community College District,
offers several 3.5 hour one-time seminars to truant students;
the first portion of class reviews facts about how truancy is
handled within the Dallas Independent School District. The
second portion involves a tour of the campus. In the third
part of class, students explore career options; discuss
applying for financial aid to attend college, and Q & A.
For more details visit:
http://truants.org/r_j__williamson.htm
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Find
& apply online for competitive grant opportunities from all
Federal grant-making agencies. http://www.grants.gov/
Centers for Disease Control –
Funding for school health programs. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/funding/index.htm
The NEA Foundation for Improvement in Education
- Grants to public school teachers, public school education support
professionals, and faculty and staff in public higher education
institutions for professional development and student achievement.
http://www.nfie.org/grants.htm
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Copy of “Strategies,
Programs, and Resources To Prevent Truancy” Videoconference
- On
February 23, 2005, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
(OSDFS) broadcast this video conference. The broadcast is available
for free on the
Juvenile
Justice Telecommunications Assistance Project web site.
To
order a videotape,
use NCJ 208807. To order a DVD,
use NCJ 208806. The cost for either format is $12.25, plus shipping
and handling.
Awareness,
Options, Control: Take Control Video
Developed
by King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Special
acknowledgement to the Lake Washington School District, and the
Shoreline Community College for assisting in making this video.
Contact:
Bonnie Glen, Deputy Chief of Staff
Bonnie.Glenn@METROKC.GOV
The
Cost and Benefits of Three Intensive Interventions with Colorado
Truants
This report
compares and gives information along with the results of three
intensive truancy programs in the state of Colorado. The
specific locations are: Adams County, and the cities of
Denver and Pueblo. Many charts and graphs are used for illustration.
Youth
Out of School: Linking Absence to Delinquency
An extensive
report linking delinquency, truancy, suspension, expulsion, and
dropping out of school. Includes information about promising
strategies and interventions. Many charts and graphs along
with a bibliography.
National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges - Offers a weekly newsletter about juvenile
justice from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
Judges. http://www.ncjrfcj.org/
Truancy Prevention, Empowering Students,
Schools and Communities - The Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools (OSDF), U.S. Department of Education, developed this Web
site to collect and disseminate truancy-related information and
resources. http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/truancy/index.html
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Education
Commission of the States
National
Forum on Education Policy
Denver,
CO - July 12-15, 2005
Registration
information at:
http://www.ecs.org/NationalForum2005
National Council
of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Sixty-eighth
Annual Conference
Pittsburgh,
PA - July 17-20, 2005
Headquartered
at the Omni William Penn Hotel
The Program
will feature numerous plenary and workshop session on the conference
theme: "Sustaining the Gains."
More information
coming soon!
For more
registration information click
here.
National
Institute of Justice Annual Conference
This conference
brings together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners at the
local, state, and federal levels to share the most recent findings
from research and technology. It showcases what works, what
doesn't, and what the research shows as promising.
Washington,
DC - July 18-20, 2005
More information
and registration at:
http://www.nijpcs.org/RE/RE2005/about.htm
The
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
(OSDFS)
2005 National Conference - Tying it All Together: Comprehensive
Strategies for Safe and Drug-Free Schools - Washington, DC, August
15-17, 2005.
More information at: http://www.osdfsnationalconference.org.
Hamilton
Fish Institute
Conference
on Persistently Safe Schools
Philadelphia,
PA - September 11-14, 2005
Information
at: http://www.hamfish.org/conference/2005/.
Seventeenth Annual
National Dropout Prevention Network Conference
Santa Clara,
CA - October 15-19, 2005
Held at
the Santa Clara Mariott
Information
at the National Dropout Center
http://www.dropoutprevention.org 5
National
Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
"Everyone
Believing - Every Child Achieving"
Seventeenth
annual conference
New Orleans,
LA - October 22-25, 2005
Held at
the Hyatt Regency New Orleans at the Louisiana Superdome
More information
at:
http://www.naehcy.org |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
NCSE
is an initiative of the
Colorado Foundation for
Families and Children
|
|
www.schoolengagement.org
To subscribe to our newsletter
please click
here
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
