Findings of a study that examined the effect of a computer-assisted absence registration system (ARS) on student truancy are presented in this paper. A pre- and post-test group design compared the truancy levels of 30 secondary schools in 4 large cities in western Holland who participated in the ARS program with those of 19 nonparticipating…

The use of the Absence Registration System (ARS), a computer-assisted system that supports registration of absent students, and its effects on truancy were studied in 30 Dutch urban secondary schools. Reasons why results do not show a significant reduction in absenteeism are discussed. (SLD)

High school administrators are concerned about the contribution of student absenteeism to poor academic performance and the likelihood of dropping out. Administrators are faced with the difficult task of deciding which incentives will make regular school attendance more meaningful to students, and which penalties may make truancy and class cutting…