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Truancy Prevention Measures

chronic vs truancy

Truancy Prevention Measures

 Promoting Great Attendance on Campus 

  • Make students and parents feel welcome.
  • Make your school a place where students feel safe and respected
  • Create a positive environment which celebrates success
  • Make same-day person to person contact when a student is absent.
  • Have a relationship with community areas where truant youth may congregate
  • Secure and supervise campus entry and exit points
  • Host Student Assemblies to promote great Attendance with Guest Speakers
  • Design a morning announcement to highlight the top grade level attendance percentage every Monday
  • Schedule weekly Callouts to families and guardians to share grade level attendance percentages
  • Conduct outreaches before and after school, during lunch to promote great attendance practices
  • Celebrate great attendance before Holiday, Winter, or Spring Breaks
  • Reward and recognize good and improved attendance, not just perfect attendance
  • Classroom presentations from Counselor, Campus Officer, Attendance Clerk, Administrators
  • Download resources from Fed and State Attendance website to promote great attendance at Open House, Family Literacy/Math nights, parent meetings, etc.
  • Create Pledge Cards for Parents and students to agree, sign, and save to promote great daily attendance
  • Post Attendance flyers and posters in classroom and school
  • Have teachers offer classroom incentives in recognition of great attendance
  • Post daily or weekly student attendance inside each Teacher classroom
  • Post-Perfect YTD, semester, monthly, 6, 9, or 12 weeks attendance in the main hallway or other main areas
  • Attendance Incentives – homeroom party, pizza, popcorn, activities before school begins or during lunch
  • Schedule a monthly attendance meeting with campus personnel who work mostly with attendance (Attn. Clerk, Attendance Administrator, Counselor, Social Worker, Parent Liaison, and Nurse)
  • Upon returning from an absence, have a policy that some adult discusses the absence with the student, and follows up on an excuse note or a consequence for an unexcused absence.

 

Truancy Prevention Measures 

  • Contact and inform the parent of absences or tardiness daily
  • Refer to the Attendance Handbook and quick reference guide for compliance with the law. 
  • Refer to the Truancy Prevention and Intervention Forms
  • Mail weekly 3 Day Warning Notices to eligible students
  • Schools are 1st Responders -home visit student
  • Review student schedule for possible changes
  • Peer/Staff Mediation
  • Referral to Administrator
  • Conference with student and parent to discuss options for improvement
  • Discussion of any recurring barriers to good attendance
  • Referral to Counselor, Social Worker, ELL, or SpEd Coordinator of Campus for needed services
  • Refer to Parent Campus Liaisons to discuss attendance and possible court actions

 

Roles for Success

Students

  • Attend all classes each day and be on time in conformity with the compulsory attendance laws of the State of Texas
  • Know and obey all rules in the Student Code of Conduct
  • Regular attendance and punctuality

Parents 

  • Participate in decisions related to the education of their children
  • Adhere to school rules and procedures
  • Ensure that their children attend school every day
  • Send students to school on time and prepared to learn
  • Read, acknowledge, and understand the rules applicable to their children’s conduct while they are at school
  • Emphasize the value of education
  • Remain involved with their children from preschool through high school
  • Read all communications from the school
  • Supply accurate, updated information (including current address and when available, current telephone numbers) to the school promptly
  • Monitor children’s progress and communicate with the school
  • Become informed about the school’s policies and programs
  • Confer with their child’s teacher 

District Attendance & Truancy Staff

Parent Campus Liaisons (PCL), along with District Truancy Prevention Facilitators work with campus personnel and families to conduct home visits and conferences to determine adequate interventions and other supports for attendance improvement and dropout prevention.

  • Collaborate with campus committees and administration to identify students in need of interventions and support services or referrals for dropout prevention.
  • Assist campuses in developing strategic community and agency partnerships, relationships, and connections to improve graduation rates and lower dropout rates.
  • Assist schools in investigating and locating potential dropouts, documenting leaver status, and advise on leaver coding.
  • Conduct home visits and conferences with potential dropouts and family members to resolve barriers, explore options and alternatives, and facilitate re-enrollment of recovered students.
  • Compile and tabulate dropout and prevention investigation results for weekly reporting.