This report seeks to raise awareness of the critical importance of chronic early absence, synthesize available data on the scope of the challenge, and share emerging insights about how schools and communities can use chronic early absence to identify and address challenges affecting the social, educational and physical well-being of children and…

Both the experimental group (receiving positive feedback) and the social skills group (receiving special social skills training) showed significant reduction in absentee rates in relation to the no-treatment control group. (MB)

This report summarizes recent research on factors relating to excessive student absenteeism, the effects of absenteeism on pupil achievement, and the effects of instruction, positive reinforcement, and parent-school involvement on attendance. Actual proposals, policies, and programs from school systems across the country are also included. Much of…

This paper describes a program intended to increase student attendance in a Savannah, Georgia, inner city high school. The author maintains that shifting the accountability for attendance to the students through peer pressure was perhaps the most significant reason for gains in attendance. He believes that a successful attendance increase program…

This publication discusses the increasing problem of student absenteeism and describes an experimental school attendance policy that was implemented at Napa (California) High School in 1975. The policy designates a maximum of 12 absences per semester as the maximum allowable for each student under normal circumstances; after 13 absences from any…

Describes program designed to increase student attendance at San Jacinto (California) Unified School District (approximately 2,300 grade K-12 students) that includes goal setting, successive communications with students and parents, establishment of School Attendance Review Board, and student recognition/rewards. Reports average attendance…

After reading about the problems of absenteeism in recent issues of the NASSP Bulletin, the authors felt other readers would like to know about the plan the Las Cruces (N.M.) schools implemented. They say the plan curbed absenteeism considerably and report the data to support their conclusion. (Editor)

The 12 items in this annotated bibliography on absenteeism are entries in the ERIC system. The publications cited focus on attendance policies and techniques for reducing truancy. The techniques mentioned include alternative individualized programs, punishments (such as lowered grades) for absences, and rewards (such as parties or higher grades)…

A two-phase attendance alert intervention system was field tested within the fifth grades of two elementary schools, the tenth grades of two high schools, and within grades nine through twelve in a continuation high school. The schools, in four different Los Angeles County unified school districts, vary by socioeconomic patterns and school system…

The development, implementation, and evaluation of a policy to increase student attendance in Albemarle High School, Virginia, is described here. Implemented in 1976, the policy called for mandatory grade reduction for students with large numbers of unexcused absences. The program evaluation revealed that the basic objective of improving student…

The curriculum extension program (CEP) of the Shell Science Centre provided group tutoring to small groups of secondary school pupils using qualified teachers. This evaluation report presents articles discussing various aspects of the program and its effectiveness. The first article by A. Ziervogel provides a review of the program. The following…

THE CHILD LIFE STUDIES BRANCH OF THE CHILDREN'S BUREAU MADE AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF PARENT EDUCATION FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1961 TO 1963. PARENT EDUCATION IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE HOUSEKEEPING, STRENGTHEN INTERFAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, REINFORCE FAMILY-SCHOOL UNDERSTANDING, AND IMPROVE PERSONAL SKILLS. PRACTITIONERS RECOMMEND A…