Background: Truancy is a serious concern that affects most school districts in the United States; however, we do not have accurate estimates of the prevalence of truancy due to inconsistent tracking and reporting practices of schools. As a result, our best current estimates of the national state of truancy may be from self-reported data. In this…

This paper presents new information about the relationship between truancy in both elementary and high school. It is based on a sample of St. Louis black schoolboys. In this longitudinal study, school records were obtained and scored with respect to attendance. The effect of truancy was examined on four adult outcomes: earnings of less than…

This article describes an attempt to reduce truancy through intervention in the school system. This strategy had two goals: (1) amelioration of truancy as manifested in individual patterns of behavior; (2) elimination of setting events and/or contingencies within the school system that evoke or reinforce truancy. (Author/KC)