Reviews recent changes in North Carolina law and policy affecting compulsory school attendance and status offenders. Status offenders are children who commit offenses that are unique to children--such as being truant, running away from home, or being beyond the disciplinary control of their parents. (Author/IRT)

Educators are increasingly critical of State compulsory education laws. Argues that these regulations do little to assure that the basic goals of schooling are achieved. Commenting briefly on this thesis are Sidney P. Marland, Jr., B. Frank Brown, John Brubacher, Paul Salmon, and Juanita Jones. (Author)

Last winter the National Commission on the Reform of Secondary Education concluded that "If a high school is not to be a custodial institution, the State must not force adolescents to attend. Earlier maturity -- physical, sexual and intellectual -- requires an option of earlier departure from the restraints of formal schooling." The Commission…

The plan described in this report was developed in response to language in the 1979 Budget Act that required the California Department of Education to development a comprehensive plan for addressing problems in administering the state's attendance laws and attendance accounting requirements. The current attendance accounting procedures and…

Traces the historical development and rationale for compulsory school attendance laws and argues that lowering the age of compulsory education without providing viable options for the social development and self-realization of youth is to invite disaster for youth and for society. (Author/JG)

Florida and California are the leaders in setting new, lowered age levels at which students may take high school equivalency tests. (IRT)

Revolving around whether schools should open before or after Labor Day are the issues of jobs, tradition, money, and local control. Presents the pros and cons being put forth in discussions in a number of states. (MLF)

Cites definite trends suggesting the eventual decline of public education.'' The author suggests that these trends may result in paring down the role of schooling to training in basic skills. Introductory chapter to a new book in which the author discusses alternatives toward which he thinks we should be working. (Author/JF)

The myriad legal and economic issues that surround truancy are intertwined and interdependent. The first section describes school attendance laws, how they are applied, and the most commonly used methods of curbing truancy. Sections two and three discuss legal issues and economic issues, respectively. They address issues facing schools, truant…

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.…

An examination of the school laws in the 50 states reveals that 47 have penalties that can result in forced incarceration for young people who do not attend school. In a five-year period, 341 young persons were committed to Maryland juvenile institutions for the crime of truancy. During the same time, 2,699 young people were committed to…

One argument to be made for compulsory schooling is that it imposes a stable pattern upon children existing in a world of turmoil. (MJB)

Compulsory attendance is desirable, according to the author, for the good of society and the individual, not for the good of the educational establishment. He lists five "wrong" reasons for compulsory student attendance. (Author/DS)