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…

Proposes an explanation for the variation among states regarding the date of enactment of compulsory school attendance legislation. The objective is to provide information to researchers as they attempt to interpret different theoretical positions on compulsory schooling. (Author/DB)

Violence and the fear of violence in the schools poses a serious threat to education. Various reports on the subject are discussed briefly, and changing school attendance laws is suggested as one possible remedy. (PP)

School policy on teenage pregnancy must take into account a variety legal considerations. Up until recently, the favored way of dealing with pregnant pupils or pupils who are mothers was to exclude them from school. Several law cases involving instances of exclusion and segregation of pregnant pupils are cited. The 14th Amendment's guarantee of…

Examines the status of home instruction relative to judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and individual state statutes. Summarizes and classifies case law as a means of updating judicial action. Notes that the debate about home instruction has moved from the realm of the U.S. Constitution to that of state legislation. (KO)

This report presents information on compulsory education. Data were collected through a review of literature, a telephone survey of state Department of Education personnel, and interviews with South Dakota state Department of Education personnel. The document reviews trends in legislation pertaining to compulsory education in the United States and…

This document provides an overview of the student absentee problem in Canada. It extrapolates the principles and components from the vast range of intervention strategies and projects, and offers a strategy for improving school attendance. Literature on absenteeism written after 1985 demonstrates a shift of focus from the student as truant to the…

The State Education Department of New York receives many requests for extracts of the laws concerning school attendance. This booklet has been prepared in response to those requests. It attempts to assemble in book form most of the laws and regulations frequently referred to by administrators, attendance teachers, supervisors, and others involved…

This chapter discusses the issues involved in home education as they relate to state compulsory school attendance laws. The authors first examine the purpose and context of compulsory attendance, then the public or private school alternatives. The statutory and case laws providing for home education are explored and some of the constitutional…

In March of 1984, the Kentucky General Assembly revised and approved a senate bill that made kindergarten mandatory beginning with the 1985-86 school year. This paper reviews several national and state research studies which help demonstrate reasons why early education would be beneficial to a student population. Particularly discussed are the…

Begins with a historical overview of 20th-century German educational policy and concludes with criticism concerning programs initiated during the 1960s. Argues that a policy of building and expansion ignores the core deficiencies of the current system. (MJP)

A discussion of compulsory attendance legislation and issues relevant to home schooling are presented in this report. The first section offers a literature review and discussion of the socialization and academic achievement arguments. Section 2 provides a chronologically ordered summary of cases that address such issues as qualifications of…

In Maine and across the nation, increasing numbers of parents are choosing to educate their children at home, often illegally. The anarchistic home schooling movement springs from various motivations: religious views, pursuit of independent lifestyles, desire to spend more time with one's children, and others. Whatever their reasons, home…

Presents guidelines for dealing with emotionally disturbed students on campus, illustrated by appropriate legal cases. Administrators and counselors must decide if the student poses a threat and may have the responsibility to warn a forseeable victim. Admissions and readmissions policies are also discussed in light of legal requirements. (JAC)

This paper includes a discussion of South Carolina's 1988 amendment to the law regulating home schooling instruction. A brief history of the law and the amendment is provided. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the State Board of Education approved home instruction programs. The amendment specifies: (1) procedures for application; (2)…