Student absenteeism is a persistent concern in K-12 education. Not only are the negative academic and social consequences of excessive absenteeism well documented, but states, districts, and schools are increasingly being held accountable for student attendance. As research indicates that disruptions in students' learning contexts may exacerbate…

Many problems that we conceptualize as "educational" have multiple causes that cut across students' ecosystems. Yet, most education reforms are targeted narrowly at schools, educators, and students. Supporting educators and community leaders in conceptualizing educational problems from an ecological perspective and designing policies in…

Chronic absenteeism has been a growing concern for large urban districts over the last ten years as students with disabilities (SWD) are chronically absent at a much higher rate than their same-age non-disabled peers. This study examines the Truancy Task Force (TTF) recommendations that were developed to address absenteeism in a large school…

State and local report cards help ensure local educational agencies (LEAs), parents, families, educators, and communities have critical data and a common framework for gauging educational progress and success. Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requires States to annually share this important…

This qualitative study gathered the perspectives of public school superintendents on truancy interventions. The study sample consisted of five school superintendents employed within five New Jersey Public School Districts and included four males and one female with a minimum of twenty-five years of experience in public school settings. Each…

This multi-site case study uses Policy Implementation Process Examination (PIPE) and a variegated diagram to represent the evolution of interpretations in a human sense-making framework as it relates to Ohio House Bill 410, legislated in 2016. The purpose of the research is to study how implementing agents such as school district personnel respond…

School learning starts with school attendance. Students need to be in school to receive instruction and learn from their teachers and peers. When schools have high rates of poor attendance, their academic achievement levels suffer. Ninth grade is a critical juncture that comes with increased student autonomy -- and new pitfalls, including the…

The research study was conducted to analyze effect of an attendance support team in urban middle schools. The study utilized a six-month time window using students in three middle schools that accumulated five unexcused absences. The attendance support team was comprised of a school social worker, a family resource student support coordinator, a…

Across the United States millions of school age students miss more that 18 days of school in a single year (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2017). These students are far more likely than their regularly attending counterparts to be below grade level in reading, have behavior issues and be at risk of dropping out (Applied Survey Research,…

Four-day school weeks have proliferated across the United States in recent years, reaching over 650 public school districts in 24 states as of 2019, but little is known about the effects of the four-day school week on high school students. This study uses district-level panel data from Oklahoma and a difference-in-differences research design to…

Chronic absenteeism and truancy are pervasive problems that may lead to tremendous adverse outcomes for students. All states have compulsory school attendance laws, and school districts have established compulsory school attendance policies. Principals and truancy officers are tasked with meeting the state-mandated policy to reduce chronic…

We examined the effect on attendance of a truancy court-diversion program for elementary students. Truancy court-diversion programs represent a shift from a law-and-order approach toward a public health model to address school absenteeism. Instead of directly referring parents of truant elementary students to child protection services or juvenile…

The federal McKinney-Vento Act broadly defines homelessness in an effort to provide protections and supports for students living in a variety of unstable housing situations. This ensures school stability and continued enrollment at a time when a student's nighttime residence may be constantly changing. In Washington, the number of children and…

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania near the borders of Maryland and West Virginia, the district has 1,483 students, with 21% minority enrollment. The district and its students have experienced many of the problems related to the opioid epidemic, including many students being raised by grandparents due to parental drug use. The district has three…

At the end of each school year, each school district compiles, verifies, and submits summary data on truancy petitions to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). This is the second year the OSPI has collected truancy data at the student level, specifically whether a student has had a truancy petition filed on them. In the…