Bakersfield City School DistrictBakersfield City School District Bakersfield City School DistrictBakersfield City School District

Attendance Enhancement andAttendance Enhancement and

Truancy Reduction: Department of Truancy Reduction: Department of Student Services Student Services

September 2004September 2004

Logistics/Materials• 90 minutes without break• Book: Attendance Enhancement

Process• Handouts• Section Presentations• Questions• Outcomes

The Team• School site staff• Steve Castro• Erin Johnston• Vikki Del Pellegrino• Greg Bianchi• Elaine Wilson• Eric Kramer• Steve Horst

California’s Mandatory Attendance Laws

• Every person 6 to 18 years of age not legally exempted must attend public school full-time (Education Code Section 48200, BP 602.13) (emphasis added)

• “Full” school day (The Governing Board shall fix the length of the school day subject to the provisions of law (Education Code Section 46100, BP 400.8)

• Excused and unexcused absences (e.g., Health reasons, family emergencies, justifiable personal reasons [Education Code Section 46010, 48216, 48205; BP 602.6])

• Exemptions from attendance (e.g. private school, private tutor, work permit [Education Code Section 48222 – 48225, 48230, 48231; BP 605.4})

Truancy DefinedThree (3) unexcused school absences

OR

Tardy/absent in excess of more than any 30 minute period on each of three days

OR

Any combination of the previous

Outcomes of Chronic Truancy

• Reduced opportunities to learn/academic performance• Interference with social development • Increased risk of child abuse and neglect• Increase in community crimes/delinquency• At risk for dropping out of school • Substance abuse, including early onset of• Stress on the child and family • Higher rates of emotional problems later in life• Later risk for joblessness and poverty

(Berg & Jackson, 1985; King et al, 1995; Kortering et al., 1997)

Why Children Might Have Severe and Chronic Attendance

Problems

Student (e.g., separation, social, & avoidance anxiety; depression; victimization; juvenile delinquency)

Medical (e.g., somatic complaints with or without presence of medical condition)

Family (e.g., family pathology - anxious/depressed parent uses student as a support person; substance abuse; student required to work; cover up child abuse/neglect) School (e.g., poor teacher-student relationships; academic difficulties; school climate, bullying)

(Bernstein & Garfinkel, 1986, 1988; Bernstein et. al. 1997; Last, Francis, Hersen, Kazdin, & Strauss, 1987; Kearney, 2001; King et al., 1995; Last & Strauss, 1990)

Importance of School Intervention Team (SIT),

Referrals, & Outreach Efforts

• Identify and assess the problem(s), analyze the data, and plan intervention

• Document efforts to help

Strategies to Address Truancy

• School environment design/school climate• Incentive programs • Goal and expectancy setting• Notices/education• Problem identification and analysis (Understanding

reasons for truancy)

• SIT• Health and mental health services • Restructuring consequences• Attendance enhancement process• Other

School Attendance Review Board (SARB), Law Enforcement &

Deputy District Attorney Partners

“Some children with emotionally-based school refusal have been referred to the courts for truancy. The pressure resulting from the court referral was often helpful in getting the child in for an evaluation” (Bernstein and Garfinkel, 1986).

Web Site Resources

Student Services Web Site

Can making and sending truancy letters

be made any easier?

Terry Pritchard, Information Technology Department

Presentations Continue

General Method to Evaluate Services

• Gather data from district electronic attendance database– Records of student attendance – Records of students receiving

services40 School days before and after

service

2003-04 Program Evaluation of Attendance Enhancement

7

16

11

6

12

53 3 3

6

0

5

10

15

20

First Letter SchoolAttendance

Review Board

Court DDA Parent(Group)

Orientation

AttendanceCoordinator

Mtg (Ind).

Service Provided

P

ercenta

g

e

of

U

nexcuse

d

Abse

nces

% Unexcused Before Service

% Unexcused After Service

Instructional Time as an Outcome

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

First Letter

School Attendance Review Board

Court

DDA Parent (Group) Orientation

Attendance Coordinator Mtg (Ind).

Days of Instruction

Funding Gains as an Outcome

$53

$173

$57 $65$99

$-

$50

$100

$150

$200

First Letter School AttendanceReview Board

Court DDA Parent(Group) Orientation

AttendanceCoordinator Mtg

(Ind).

Service Provided

Min.

dollars

re

gained

Discussion of Results

Greg Bianchi• Kern County District Attorney’s

Office

What Happens When a Student is

Identified as a Truant?

The Attendance Enhancement Process begins…

Each Step Escalates the Seriousness of the Consequences:

• Letter #1 - Classification as Truant Letter Only

• Letter #2 - Second Classification as Truant

Letter & Meeting with School Representative

Step #3 – Classification as an Habitual Truant

Community service

When does a Student become a Habitual

Truant?“Habitual Truant” is:

Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has been reported as a truant three or more times per school year’

plusAn appropriate school employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil himself/herself.

(California Education Code Section 48262)

Habitual Truant

(3 + 1 +1) + Conscientious Effort

Why is “Habitual Truant” Status

Important?

Once a student is classified as an “Habitual Truant” the parents and student become subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.

Elaine Wilson

• Attendance CoordinatorBakersfield City School District

Program Improvement Schools

• Parent/Student Contact at District Office Prior to SARB

• 176 Meetings Scheduled, 102 Attended

• 90% of students who attended, required no further intervention.

SARB Referral Packet

• Attendance CoordinatorProgram Improvement Schools

• SARB

Vikki Del PellegrinoDeputy District Attorney

1-4651

SIT’s and Home Visits• A DDA may attend a SIT. • A DDA can notify a parent in

writing of the DDA’s presence at the SIT. See handbook.

• If Truancy letters have been mailed a DDA may make a home visit.

DA Orientation Meeting

• The Goal is Prevention with a Positive Message

• Two Letters in Handbook– Orientation 1 – “…”your child has an

excessive number of unexcused absences…”– Orientation 2 … “Staff in the BSCD are

concerned with school attendance….”

– See handbook for complete letters

DA Orientations

• Scheduled at the end of the school day if possible.

• May be scheduled in the evening.• DA will arrange for Law Enforcement

presence.• Power Point Presentation can be

accessed in BCSD Web site, or by e-mail• Presentation Should be Reviewed by

Responsible Staff Member prior to Date

The School Should…

• Route an Alphabetized List of Student/SID’s • Have the PP on computer and ready to go• Arrange for Microphone(s) for Speaker(s)• Have at Least One School Representative

Present• Have an Interpreter Present and Prepared• Supply Pens and Pencils for Parents to use• Have Adequate Copies of Sign in Sheets• Have Adequate Copies of Agreements

• See Handbook

In Addition to your Individual School Site

Meeting:

• Parents/Students may Attend meetings at other School Sites

• Parents/Students may attend any one of Three Meetings at the Education Center

• Check with Student Services for upcoming dates

DA Involvement in SARB

• Non Punitive; The Goal is Prevention

• A Citation will NOT be issued at SARB to any parent who attends

• Parents who fail to attend will be issued a notice by DA to attend a DA Mediation at THE DA’s office

DA Mediation

• The Goal is Prevention• Parents/students notified of “…the

right to remain silent…”• Root causes of truancy discussed• Plan for rehabilitation formulated• Agreement document signed

The Citation Process

• A Citation is issued only if:– There is no improvement after SARB– The Parent fails to attend the DA

Mediation– There is no improvement after the DA

Mediation

The Court Process

• The Goal is Prevention• Parents ordered to attend Parent

University or other Similar Program

• Student ordered to Work Program or other positive resource

Continued Follow up• The School should notify DA of any

student whose attendance does not improve after SARB

• The DA will Monitor through Mediations and Court Hearings

• The Courts will access and suggest methods of improved attendance

COLLABORATION• Working together =• Good Attendance =• Good Grades =• Success in School =• The ability to Make Life Choices =• Responsible, Crime Free Adults

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

Questions/Issues

Central Team Upfront