This 50-State Review defines and explores free and compulsory education, and includes state examples, policy considerations, exemptions and requirements.

In 2009, the North Dakota legislature passed SB 2217, which lowered the penalty for truancy from a felony to an infraction for a first offense and a class B misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense. Additionally, the legislature required the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to convene a workgroup to further study truancy…

In the early twentieth century, education legislation was often passed based on arguments that new laws were needed to force immigrants to learn English and "Americanize." We provide the first estimates of the effect of statutes requiring English as the language of instruction and compulsory schooling laws on the school enrollment, work, literacy…

What is the mandatory age of attendance in each of the states? Specifically, what is the age at which a student may leave school with or without parental consent, and what if any caveats or requirements are attached to dropping out? To answer these questions, the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL-SE) staff conducted a Google search…

The South Africa Schools Act requires every child to "attend school from the first school day of the year in which such learner reaches the age of seven years until the last day of the year in which such learner reaches the age of 15 years or the ninth grade, whichever comes first" (Republic of South Africa, 1996). This paper addresses…

When the economy weakens, heightened consideration is given to ways in which schools can more efficiently use financial resources. Discussions about implementing four-day school weeks--with students attending school more hours each day--are surfacing again in some states. While the need to balance the budget is real, the current emphasis on…

Under the New Mexico Public School Code, the right of parents to home-school their children is recognized. "Home School" is defined as the operation by a parent, legal guardian, or other person having custody of a school-age person who instructs a home study program that provides a basic academic educational program, including but not…

The Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education is intended to inform policymakers and educators about the current status of key education policies that define and shape elementary and secondary education in public schools across the 50 states. The report is part of a continuing series by the Council's State Education Indicators program.…

The article argues that the local authority attendance officers responsible for the enforcement of compulsory attendance changed their approach to truancy under the influence of child welfare legislation and changing views of the child in the first decade of the twentieth century. Some of the changes in their work emerged as a direct response to…

In recent years, there has been an increased recognition of the importance of parenting and the way in which parenting programmes can be an effective intervention in changing behaviour and parent-child interactions. The aim of this research, funded by the Department for Education and Skills, was to provide a map of parenting programme provision in…

This study details the enactment of attendance laws for black pupils in Missouri and describes their effect by citing examples from two counties: St. Louis County and Polk County. The study is based on a review of primary sources yielding quantitative and qualitative data reported during the first 40 years of the attendance laws. A study of…

Until 1975 around half of all graduates from Dutch basic vocational schools finished a 3-year program, the other half finished a 4-year program. In 1975 all 3-year programs were extended to four years. This was accompanied by an increase of the compulsory school leaving age with one year. The authors evaluate the long-term wage effects of this…

This presentation is an attempt to produce a framework out of the knowledge of the growth and development of children and youth for use in determining the school program. This is necessary at a time when education has accepted the objective of secondary education. Educators are in agreement with parents and citizens generally that all youth…

The efforts of county, State, and National officials and of States in all parts of the country to provide opportunities of education for children outside the cities and larger towns have stimulated a general interest in the required length of the school term, and the desire for the requirement of a minimum school term sufficient to enable all…

This study has been prepared to help answer questions frequently asked regarding certain features of the compulsory school attendance laws in the several States, as compulsory school ages, exemptions provided, amount of attendance required, qualifications of attendance officers, State supervision of attendance enforcement, and other provisions for…