This Digest in Spanish examines some of the ways that truancy affects both individuals and society. It identifies factors that may place students at greater risk of becoming truant and lists some consequences of nonattendance, including delayed promotion and graduation, lowered self-esteem, and lessened employment potential. The causes of truancy…

This Digest examines some of the ways that truancy affects both individuals and society. It identifies factors that may place students at greater risk of becoming truant and lists some consequences of nonattendance, including delayed promotion and graduation, lowered self-esteem, and lessened employment potential. The causes of truancy vary among…

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…

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…

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 Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) Title VI provided funds to assist in the voluntary desegregation of the Milwaukee Public Schools through a variety of magnet special school programs which would attract area-wide or district-wide enrollment. These special programs are located in elementary, middle, and senior high schools throughout the city.…

A voluntary quinmester plan for extending the school year was tried in five Knox County Tennessee schools. Ten University of Tennesse faculty members teamed to evaluate the program's K-12 curriculum revision, administration, public opinion, costs, student and staff morale, and student achievement. Achievement was not significantly influenced, but…

The issue of appropriate truancy intervention is addressed in this description of the efforts of Minneapolis, Minnesota to design a continuum of interventions that relies on the resources of both the school and juvenile court. Exigencies which precipitated a truancy pilot project are discussed: a shared belief that truancy is a signal for…

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…

Contains nine articles focusing on prevention programs and school counseling. Topics addressed include educational alternatives for potential dropouts, childhood depression, suicide, and school vandalism. Describes programs facilitating adolescent development and for the prevention of delinquent behavior. Discusses the counselor's role in failure…

Murray State University has established financial self-sustaining programs to provide high-quality academic experiences for non-college-age students in the rural environment surrounding the university. The programs are designed to promote the long-term goal of increasing college attendance rates in an area where they are among the lowest in the…

In 1982-83, the 18 school districts and 1 tribe receiving Johnson O'Malley funds for American Indian education in Washington attempted to increase reading and mathematics proficiency, improve Native American high school graduation rates, and promote cultural awareness activities in schools with high Native American enrollments. By limiting their…

In 1983-84, Johnson O'Malley Indian education programs operated in 17 public schools and 2 tribal preschools in Washington state, serving 1,386 students with a budget of $222,421. The overall objectives of the programs for Indian students were to increase reading and math proficiency, improve the high school graduation rate, promote cultural and…