Each school day, hundreds of thousands of students are missing from their classrooms--many without a bona fide excuse. Left unchecked, truancy is a risk factor for serious juvenile delinquency. Truancy's impact also extends into the adult years where it has been linked to numerous negative outcomes. Consequently, it is critical to identify…

The Operation Stay-in-School (OSIS) program was developed to reduce truancy before it diminishes the value of the student's education, leads to other problems such as increased burglary, vandalism, and drug abuse, and reduces the school district's attendance revenue. Truants apprehended by police are taken to OSIS reception centers where they are…

Dropping out of school has long-term financial and social costs for children and society. This bulletin describes promising new efforts across the country to reduce the number of juveniles who leave school prematurely and who are at risk of delinquency because they are truants or dropouts, afraid to attend schools, suspended or expelled, or in…

Networking among youth service and juvenile justice agencies can help coordinate their functions and increase mutual cooperation and communication, with the goal of maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of services. This bulletin describes three such networks and their planning and implementation. (Author)

This issue focuses on the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, P.L. 94-142, and its impact on the role of school social workers, including relationships with students, school personnel, parents, and community service agencies. Other articles address the following areas of concern: (1) truancy and due process; (2) play therapy; (3) issues of…

This bulletin addresses the issue of improving interagency cooperation between the school and the court for the purpose of coordinating their efforts to reduce violence and vandalism within the school and the community. The experiences of Berrien County (Michigan) are used to illustrate the process of assessing, formalizing, and maintaining…

This special issue presents seven papers describing programs for children with behavioral disorders. Among topics addressed are use of role playing to foster social skills, truancy intervention, and cooperative efforts by mental health agencies and public schools. (CL)

This special issue of the serial SET for 1996 contains seven newly commissioned articles and four reprints all related to the education of children at risk. This issue includes: (1) "Students at Risk: An Overview" (Margaret Batten, Graeme Withers, and Jean Russell); (2) "Inquiry into Children in Education at Risk through Truancy and…

The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge (Massachusetts) has developed a School-Juvenile Court Liaison Program. Central to the effectiveness of this program is the appointment of a school staff member who fills the role of a liaison or "linking mechanism" between the school and court. The overall objective for the liaison is to…

Truancy is a major problem in the United States that can have negative effects on the futures of young people. Truancy may lead to dropping out of school; may be a precursor to delinquent and criminal activity; and places students at higher risk of being drawn into behaviors involving drugs, alcohol, or violence. Furthermore, truancy has high…

This publication of the California Association of School Psychologists includes articles written by practitioners, trainers, and students. The topics represent a sampling of the broad range of students that school psychologists are asked to serve today. Two articles discuss current findings relevant to working with the populations of students who…

Spurred by a national dropout rate of 25 percent, educators are examining causes of leaving school early, identifying high risk students, and devising student retention programs. This paper profiles the potential dropout, describes 10 characteristics of effective student retention programs, and describes three exemplary programs in Colorado,…