A review of the literature regarding school refusal was conducted. It was found that the term School Refusal Behavior has gone through many changes. These changes encompass nomenclature, etiology, and treatment. The names used to describe the behavior of school refusal have ranged from truancy in the 1930s to School Refusal Behavior in the 1990s.…

This article examines the views of 88 learning mentors about their understanding of the management of school attendance. The data were obtained from a questionnaire that was completed in 2004 by the learning school mentors attending a conference on improving school attendance. Respondents attended from Excellence in Cites (EiC) and Education…

Improving student attendance and truancy prevention have always been areas of concern for educators, as well as, community members, and legislators. Students who are not in school cannot learn, and frequently drop out. Truant students often engage in high-risk behaviors that eventually entangle them in the juvenile justice system. Since 1986, the…

In recent years, various governments and education agencies have developed stricter policies to reduce truancy levels, mainly based on the argument that truancy is associated with risk behaviour, crime and substance abuse. In this article, we use a large, 28-nation comparative survey among 14 year olds to detect general patterns in consequences…

There are large disparities between the achievements, behaviour and aspirations of children growing up in different neighbourhoods. This has contributed to the view that neighbourhoods can determine individuals' outcomes. Notably, in the long run these effects could lead to larger social inequality and reduce social mobility, which is why they…

This article addresses an analysis of current literature on employee and student absenteeism and seeks to provide key recommendations that may yield higher levels of attendance and student achievement in urban school districts. It hones on the idea that educational leaders must be cognizant of the factors relating to absenteeism and its cost to…

Administered Adolescent Life Change Event Scale to 55 adolescents on probation or in detention for offenses. Results suggest that these adolescents are more stressed than nondelinquent adolescents in prior study (Yeaworth, 1980). Results suggest no relationship between total amount of stress experienced and total offenses committed. (Author/NRB)

This study examines nine voluntary working relationships or partnerships between tribal education departments (TEDs) and local education agencies supporting American Indian students. Individual profiles describe how each partnership works, focusing primarily on collaborative activities intended to improve education outcomes for American Indian…

This article reflects on the behaviour commonly known as "school refusal". After reviewing its established descriptions, the article argues for a different definition, namely "extended school non-attendance", which describes the visible behaviour neutrally, aims to direct one's attention to the school environment, and stresses its persistent…

States, districts and schools are now being offered unprecedented opportunities to develop programs that will improve student performance and turn around underperforming schools. An understanding of how reducing chronic early absence helps those efforts will go a long way to assure that innovative school improvement policies and practices will be…

This article examines various aspects of school physical characteristics relating to problem behavior among students. We hypothesize that an attractive physical environment will be associated with less truancy, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use, whereas a negative physical environment will be associated with higher levels of these behaviors.…

The focus of this piece is on exploring questions regarding school organizational structures and cultures and their unintentional encouragement of teenage absenteeism. The organizational structure and culture of a school setting contributes to how students experience the system. School characteristics and culture can influence student absenteeism…

AN INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE OF QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS BASED ON TAPED EXCERPTS IS OUTLINED. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE DELINQUENT'S PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOLS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATES. MATERIALS ARE PRESENTED TO EXPOSE TRAINEES TO AN ORIENTATION TOWARD THE DELINQUENT AND HIS BEHAVIOR IN THE SCHOOL SETTING.…

Ellison High School in Kileen, Texas, withholds credit for any course in which the student has been absent excessively. (JM)

Examines truancy characteristics, effective attendance policies, and workable attendance enforcement and remediation programs. One school district threatens habitual truants' parents with court action leading to fines and jail sentences. A worthy goal is encouraging both students and parents to take compulsory education statutes seriously. (MLH)