K-12 Digital Truancy

8/16/2019 K-12 Digital Truancy

1/29

Cyber-Truancy: Addressing Issues of Attendance in the Digital AgeJRTE | Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 1–28 | ©2013 ISTE | iste.org/jrte

Cyber-Truancy: Addressing Issues of Attendance in the Digital Age

Leanna Archambault Arizona State University

Kathryn Kennedy

International Association for K –12 Online Learning

Stacy Bender

Minnesota Virtual High School

Abstract

Although mandatory attendance is easily determined in a traditional, brick-and-mortar school, monitoring and enforcing attendance and truancy in anonline environment is less obvious. Despite this challenge, virtual schools,especially those that are publicly funded, have a requirement to ensure thatstudents who are enrolled are actually logging on, completing lessons, and“attending” classes in an online setting. Tis article describes how attendance

and truancy laws apply to online students and explores the notion of cyber-truancy. Within the context of Minnesota Virtual High School, one of the first schools to develop online attendance policies, we explore the impact andsignificance of enforcing cyber-truancy policy. (Keywords: Virtual schooling,K–12 online, attendance, truancy, Minnesota Virtual High School)

A

s we progress into the 21st century, one of the key criticisms of theU.S. education system has centered on a comparison of our schools

to factories, in which students are grouped by age, where progressoccurs through a series of isolated subjects in a lockstep fashion (Groff,Smith, & Edmond, 2010). Tere are a number of inherent problems withthis model, including a one-size-fits-all approach to instruction that stiflescreativity, individuality, and innovation. Tis, coupled with an emphasis onrecall of declarative factual knowledge associated with high-stakes stan-dardized testing, is particularly disconcerting, considering that the currentgeneration of students will face some of the most complex and difficult prob-lems the world has ever encountered.

One of the mechanisms keeping this antiquated system in place is the stu-dent evaluation process. Outdated measures of student achievement, particu-larly seat time, or the number of minutes spent in the classroom, continue toperpetuate underperformance among students, who are still able to graduateas a function of attending and minimally participating in a face-to-face setting.


2/29

Archambault, Kennedy, & Bender

Within the traditional school model, students are either physicallypresent or absent. Attendance is defined as physical presence for a prede-termined amount of time during which the school holds academic pro-gramming. Tis becomes a significant issue for schools when students are

chronically absent, legally referred to as “truant.” ruancy occurs when stu-dents’ lack of attendance does not fit into the excused categories provided bythe laws of the students’ states of residence. o address this problem, stateshave written and implemented truancy laws based on traditional, brick-and-mortar schools. Schools have an obligation to enforce truancy laws not onlybecause they are serving as caretakers of students under in loco parentis, butalso because it is the responsibility of the state to educate its citizenry. Underthe current educational system, this responsibility ends simply with studentsbeing physically present in a classroom.

Whereas attendance and truancy are not difficult to determine in theface-to-face classroom, defining truancy at an online school is challengingto establish and enforce. However, virtual schools have an equal respon-sibility to assure that students are attending lessons, progressing in theirlearning, and benefitting from instruction. Especially in the case of publiconline schools, including cyber-charter schools, state-led virtual schools, ordistrict-level supplemental online classes, a legal obligation exists to ensurethat funds are being spent appropriately. With the growing number of stu-

dents attending online learning programs, the concept of attendance needsto be revisited and redefined to determine how to enforce truancy within theonline setting.

Tis article offers an examination of current truancy laws and the rolethat online schools play in the enforcement of these laws. It explores theconcept of “cyber-truancy” through an analysis of Minnesota truancy lawsand the policies and procedures of Minnesota Virtual High School. Tepurpose of this analysis is to examine how truancy laws can and do apply toonline students as well as the responsibility of online schools to enforce state

attendance laws, even as they are currently written. We examine these issuesby exploring the truancy laws, policies, and procedures of the state of Min-nesota and how the Minnesota Virtual High School has implemented theseexisting laws.

Review of Related Research

Significance of School Attendance

Regular school attendance has been established as a key factor in studentachievement in school settings (Gottfried, 2010; Musser, 2011; Roby, 2004),and more recently, attendance has been determined to be associated withbetter performance on standardized test scores (Gottfried, 2011). Researchhas shown that consistent attendance is a statistically significant predictor forimproved performance in school (Musser, 2011). In light of this relationship,


3/29

monitoring attendance becomes an important actor in assisting studentsand amilies to increase school achievement. In addition, lack o attendanceis an indicator o students who may be at risk and require intervention onthe part o school personnel (Musser, 2011).

A chronic lack o attendance without legitimate reason, or truancy, isa significant issue that continues to present a challenge to schools. Tereare many possible reasons or truancy that may be school and/or studentrelated. School characteristics may include poor leadership, lack o com-mitment to school improvement, inexperienced administrators, high staffturnover, and ill-advised policies (Sheldon, 2007). Internal amily issuesthat affect attendance include socio-economic status (SES), amily attitudestoward education, parental situations, and child abuse and neglect (easley,2004). Balanz and Byrnes (2012) identiy three major reasons or students

missing school: (a) students who cannot attend school due to illness, amilyresponsibility, homelessness, having to work, or dealing with the juvenile justice system; (b) students who will not attend school due to bullying, saetyconcerns, harassment, etc.; and (c) students who do not attend due to a lacko value either on their part or the part o their parents, or nothing preventsthem rom not attending. Currently, millions o students are missing exten-sive amounts o schooling, with compounding negative effects (Balanz &Byrnes, 2012).

Given the significant role attendance plays in student achievement, inaddition to the goal o decreasing the likelihood that students engage indelinquent or destructive behaviors (Sheldon, 2007), schools are responsibleor making sure that students are physically present in classrooms on a dailybasis and, i they are not, taking necessary steps to determine the reasonsbehind such truancy. Schools, both brick and mortar and virtual, are respon-sible or intervening to correct the underlying problem. Not only are theyobligated by state law to enorce truancy statutes, but it is beneficial or themto leverage state resources to help promote student success. Te most posi-

tive outcomes are experienced when schools, amilies, and students work to-gether to solve the problem o truancy in schools (Gullatt & Lemoine, 1997).

Due to a lack o unding needed to dedicate staff and personnel to pursuetruancy violations, including filing necessary paperwork and spending timein court, schools are ofen reluctant to file truancy petitions (Smink & Heil-brunn, 2005). Unortunately, the cost o looking the other way can be moredevastating to society. According to Heilbrunn (2007), dropouts are unpre-pared to enter the workorce and use additional social services and criminal justice process services than do graduates. Each dropout costs the publican average o $800,000 over the course o the individual’s lietime (Smink& Heilbrunn, 2005). In addition, as adults, those who were truant are morelikely than others to be incarcerated, live in poverty, have poor physical andmental health, work in low-paying jobs, use public assistance extensively,and have children with behavior problems (Baker, Sigmon, & Nugent, 2001).


4/29


Tus, attendance issues not dealt with can lead to a destructive cycle ofincreased truancy, dropout rates, and subsequent poverty (Smink & Heilb-runn, 2005).

Virtual Schooling: Growth and Concerns From 1891 to the present, distance education has evolved and flourished inthe United States. In the past 25 years, K–12 online learning in particularhas emerged as an educational choice for youth around the nation. Te first virtual school, Laurel Springs, opened in 1991. oday there are countlessnumbers of online learning programs for K–12 students. In fact, as of 2011,K–12 online learning programs are present in every state and the District ofColumbia (Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011). Tese programsalso vary in their amount of Web-based instruction. While some schools are

fully online, others are blended, offering a mixture of online and face-to-facelearning.

Recognizing the importance of preparing students to learn in onlineenvironments, some states have mandated taking an online course or onlinelearning experience as a high school graduation requirement, includ-ing Michigan in 2006, New Mexico in 2007, Alabama in 2008, and, mostrecently, Virginia in 2012 (Sheehy, 2012). Tis has led to an increase in thenumber of students taking online courses, with district-led online programs

and blended learning initiatives becoming the fastest growing trend in K–12online learning (Watson et al., 2012, 2011).Research focused on establishing the effectiveness of online learning has

led to a number completed meta-analyses. Tese studies have compared various learning outcomes from online learning environments to traditionalones and have concluded no significant difference between the two. In addi-tion, online education resulted in similar outcomes to traditional instruction(Bernard et al., 2004; Cavanaugh et al., 2004; Means et al, 2009; Ungerleider& Burns, 2003). With the confirmation of the viability of K–12 online educa-

tion, recent literature has begun to delve into other areas of consideration,including student characteristics (Roblyer, 2002–2003), teacher character-istics (Archambault & Crippen, 2009), and teacher preparation for onlineenvironments (Kennedy & Archambault, 2012).

Although online education has been in existence for a relatively shortamount of time, recent advancement shows enrollment in K–12 onlinelearning continues to grow at an exponential rate throughout the UnitedStates (Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011). With this expan-sion, the issue of monitoring and enforcing attendance becomes problem-atic. Tis is because the traditional definition of truancy in a brick-and-mortar school (a certain number of unexcused absences over a given periodof time) does not easily translate to the online environment. One of theissues has been that attempting to track seat time in the online environ-ment is complex. Currently, 36 states have moved more toward completion


5/29

or competency-based progress as a method for measuring student progressthrough proficiency-based diplomas, credit flexibility, or seat-time waiv-ers (Patrick & Sturgis, 2013). A competency-based approach means thatstudents must demonstrate mastery of specific skills to progress to higher-

level work and earn credits toward high school graduation. Progress towardmeeting predetermined criteria, as established by multiple measures, ratherthan an arbitrary number of minutes spent sitting in a classroom, deter-mines when students complete a class and fulfills the requirements neces-sary for graduation (Sturgis & Patrick, 2010). However, this progress mustbe carefully monitored to ensure that students are, in fact, moving forwardand mastering the necessary skills. Tis requires a carefully coordinated planwith ongoing formative assessment that drives instruction.

With advances in K–12 online curricula and instruction, the possibility

for individualized instruction based on mastery is increasingly feasible. Inthe online environment, students are not bound by traditional age group-ings that may or may not correlate with their skill levels in particular contentareas. However, despite the growing popularity of online education, one ofthe challenges has been to ensure that students are in fact “attending” andreceiving instruction as well as progressing in their studies. How is com-pulsory attendance monitored in the online classroom? How does a virtualschool determine when a student has a problem with excessive absenteeism,

and more important, what do they do when this is the case?Because many areas of concern with online education, particularly policyissues such as attendance and truancy, have not yet been examined, we wantedto explore ways and implications of establishing a mechanism for track-ing student attendance in the online environment. Given the nature of thisadvancement, the issue of attendance and truancy in the online environment,or cyber-truancy, needs to be considered. Tus far, this topic has not beenaddressed systematically in the literature, but as online programs continue togrow and expand to serve an ever-increasing number of students, exploring

models of how to deal with attendance issues in virtual settings is critical.Te purpose of this study is to examine how truancy laws can and do

apply to online students, as well as the responsibility of online schools toenforce state attendance laws, even as they are currently written. Using acase-study design, we examine these issues by exploring the truancy laws,policies, and procedures of the state of Minnesota and how these existinglaws have been implemented at Minnesota Virtual High School.

Theoretical Framework

School engagement has been identified as important to overall student suc-cess and school completion (Finn, 1993). According to Finn’s Participation-Identification Model of School Engagement, active student participation,along with a feeling of identification with the school, are vital aspects tograduation (Figure 1, p. 6). Student participation can be determined by


6/29


school attendance in addition to coming to school prepared and participat-ing in various activities, including those that are extracurricular. Accordingto Finn (1993), “Attendance is a particularly important participatory behav-ior throughout the school years because non-attendance prevents the young-ster from being exposed to learning activities and to other efforts to promotehis or her involvement” (p. 10, emphasis in original). Student participationin activities is directly related to successful school performance, which pro-

motes identification, by which students internalize a feeling of belonging aspart of the school (Finn, 1993).Finn’s model concentrates primarily on the behavioral as well as the affec-

tive aspects of school engagement. One can measure behavioral elements byexamining attendance, avoidance of disciplinary action, classroom partici-pation, and involvement in extracurricular activities. Affective measuresinclude feelings of belonging and identification with school. As Finn (1993)notes, “As long as early participation is accompanied by some rewards forsuccess, a sense of comfort or ‘belonging’ can develop and become internal-

ized. Te influence of performance rewards plus the increased identificationwith school serve to perpetuate youngsters’ active participation in the class-room and the school environment generally” (p. 15). If students are activelyengaged in their school environment, then they are more likely to persist inthe face of difficulty and avoid negative outcomes, including failing classes,dropping out, and/or engaging in delinquent behaviors (Finn & Cox, 1992).What remains to be seen is how school engagement in a traditional environ-ment translates to an online one, and what mechanisms need to be in placeto encourage students to continue their participation and help them developa sense of identity within an online school.

In addition to behavior and affective aspects, there are also cognitivemeasures of engagement, including motivation, self-regulation, and strategyuse. Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1989) emphasizes the importance ofmodeling and observation of others’ behaviors as a primary mechanism of

Figure 1. Participation Identification Model (Adapted from Finn, 1993)


7/29

learning. It recognizes the significance of ongoing interactions among be-havioral, cognitive, and environmental factors and can be applied to onlinelearning.

Trough a constructed online environment, students learn via model-

ing and observation. Being an active participant through observation andmodeling in the online environment enables students to learn what is beingtaught. Because students learn from and within this environment, thosewho are not present are not exposed to the required content, and they havedifficulty producing the same results as those who regularly attend. Banduraoutlines four specific aspects of the modeling process: (a) attention—to learnanything, students must pay attention, (b) retention—students must be ableto remember what they have been paying attention to, (c) reproduction—students need to translate observation into behavior, and (d) motivation—to

be able to accomplish anything, students must have sufficient reinforcementto want to do so (Bandura, 1989). In addition, certain cognitive measures arepredictors of academic success in K–12 online education, including self-regulation, self-motivation, the ability to structure one’s own learning, previ-ous experience with technology, a good attitude toward the content, andself-confidence in academic endeavors (Roblyer & Marshall, 2002–2003).For each of these elements to occur, a student must be present in an onlineenvironment in order to successfully make progress. Tis progress can then

serve as a measure of attendance rather than seat time.aking into consideration the behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspectsof school engagement, by virtue of the state laws in which they are operating, virtual schools have a legal obligation and responsibility to monitor studentsin online environments. Tis includes whether or not students are loggingon and what learning outcomes they accomplish during this time. Currently,the extent to which attendance laws are enforced in online environments isunknown, and this is an area for future research. Te current study, however,provides an in-depth look at how one such virtual school is addressing this

issue. As such, the research questions for the current study are as follows:

1. How do the concepts of compulsory attendance and truancy apply tothe K–12 online learning environment? What is cyber-truancy?

2. How might attendance and truancy be enforced in a virtual school setting?

Methodology

Setting

Tis study took place in the state of Minnesota at Minnesota Virtual HighSchool (MVHS). Tis is a fully online virtual school that offers classes tomiddle and high school students throughout the state. MVHS serves ap-proximately 1,350 students. Students can take single classes to supplementtheir traditional, face-to-face schools, or they can choose to go to MVHS fulltime. If they choose full time, upon graduation, students receive a diploma


8/29


from the accredited public charter school, Minnesota ransitions CharterSchool, which sponsors MVHS.

Sampling

Te current study used stratified purposeful selection of cases (Patton,2002). Tis method allows for researchers to study cases within cases. Specif-ically, the researchers chose cyber-truancy practices within Minnesota andparticularly those associated with MVHS. In addition, further stratificationis illustrated by the focus on individual students within this context from various counties to see how the application of cyber-truancy affects them. oattain this information, the researchers focused on the experiences of StacyBender, dean of students at MVHS, and her processes surrounding the phe-nomenon of cyber-truancy. It should be noted that her role in the current

research was two-fold: both as a researcher/observer and as a participant.According to Spradley (1980), two purposes exist for participant observa-tion: (a) to observe the activities, people, and aspects of a situation; and (b)to participate in activities that provide useful information and are appropri-ate given a specific context. Because of her administrative position, Bender’srole was that of a privileged, active observer throughout the course of theresearch. Tis introduces the potential for bias concerning cyber-truancy,including how related policies are developed and implemented. However, in

interviewing the dean of students, the two lead researchers sought to mini-mize this by working together to examine the data, comparing impressionswith each other, and member checking with the dean to ensure accuracy.In addition, because of the small sample size, generalizing to other settingsis not recommended. Despite the lack of transferability, key characteristicsfrom this case can help to illuminate and illustrate the importance of explor-ing cyber-truancy issues and policies.

Data Collection

Tis study used case-study methods (Yin, 2004). Case-study methodol-ogy requires detailed investigation of a situation (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg,1991). In this case, it allowed the researchers to examine cyber-truancy inMinnesota, specifically at MVHS. Tis case study, as in all case studies, helpsto illuminate the intricacies of a given situation using multiple data sources.We collected data sources from the Minnesota Attendance and ruancy Stat-utes, Chisago County ruancy Policy, and interviews with the dean of stu-dents, whose position it is to monitor truancy and enforce attendance in theonline school. We sought documents and sources that would give a completeexploration and description of cyber-truancy both within the school and inthe legal process (Yin, 1994). Te phenomenon of cyber-truancy has shownup only recently in the media (Bender, 2010).

In addition to collecting the policy documents, we interviewed the deanof students, who enforces attendance and monitors cyber-truancy at MVHS.


9/29

Te interviews were semi-structured and used interview guides. Te semi-structure of the interviews also allowed for the use of prompts and follow-upquestions if an answer required clarification. Tere were three interviews,and each interview lasted between 50 and 90 minutes. Tere was a need

for multiple interviews with the dean because it allowed time to review theadditional data sources between interviews and ask follow-up questions onthose additional data sources. Interviews centered on asking the dean ofstudents key questions about different student cases of cyber-truancy andtheir outcomes. Her position puts her in direct contact with every truantstudent at Minnesota Virtual High School. She keeps track of each studenton a tracking sheet, which allows her to have the relevant information abouteach student, the steps that MVHS has taken to intervene, and the upcomingcourt or county meeting dates that she needs to attend. Tis sheet also docu-

ments if the student has a truancy agency or social worker who can supportthe student in terms of attendance. We conducted interviews with the deanof students over the phone, recorded them using a digital recorder, andtranscribed them. Phone interviews had advantages in this particular situ-ation due to the fact that the researcher participant (dean of students) waslocated in Minnesota, and the other two researchers were located in Maineand Arizona. We made contact prior to the interview to build a comfortablerelationship prior to the first interview (Seidman, 2006).

Te interview guides consisted of an explanation of the study and ques-tions to answer and discuss. Questions and prompts for the interviewsincluded the following:

• Define cyber-truancy. • Describe your process of establishing a cyber-truancy policy at MVHS. • Describe how cyber-truancy is enforced at MVHS. • How do the concepts of compulsory attendance and truancy apply to the

K–12 online learning environment?

• How might attendance and truancy be enforced in a virtual school set-ting?

• What is the impact of enforcing cyber-truancy policy, and why is it im-portant?

• What are examples of students who have been affected by the enforce-ment of cyber-truancy?

• What motivates you to help students who are truant?

Data Analysis

We analyzed data using multiple methods. We analyzed the policies withthe help of the dean of students’ interviews, both during interviews as wellas via note-taking that the dean had done on her own. Prior to interviews,we reviewed the policies and the dean’s notes on the policies. During theinterviews, we asked questions based on our reviews and the dean’s notes.


10/29


Based on the dean’s additional explanations, we were able to understand thedecisions that were made to align attendance policy with K–12 online learn-ing environments. She was able to provide a historical background as wellas a description o the problems that sparked the policy creation. She also

explicated the goals o the policy and addressed the easibility and impact oimplementation (Karger & Stoesz, 2009). Te analysis o these documentsallowed us to better understand a problem, suggest possible solutions, andexamine the results o implementation in a given context.

In addition to analyzing the documents, we transcribed all interviewswith the dean o students verbatim. Ten we listened to the interviews asecond time to ensure that the transcriptions were accurate, noting pausesand emphases where applicable. We then assigned open codes to each o theinterviews by using meaning-units as points o separation. We read the data

and coded, ocusing on excerpts that elicited qualities o applicants and theactions that ensue based on those qualities. Codes that we used includedopen (first level), ocused (second level), and selective (third level) (Strauss& Corbin, 1998). Ten we reviewed the data to see what themes were con-sistent (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). We used memoing to help move the codingo the data to a more analytic level by seeing how codes at different levels oanalysis worked together to create a greater understanding. Tese steps col-lectively provided a way to identiy common themes within the interviews.

Data Validation

Qualitative research is validated differently rom quantitative research—i.e.,“ormal comparisons, sampling strategies, or statistical manipulations that‘control or’ the effect o particular variables” (Maxwell, 1998, p. 91). In addi-tion, validation o qualitative research relies more on trust and authenticity(Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). o ensure credibility, transerability, dependabil-ity, and confirmability, we used member checks, eedback, and discrepant/negative instance scans. Afer we collected and analyzed the data and wrote

conclusions, we asked the dean o students to review the findings. Tisensured the depiction stayed true to the actual experience (Guba & Lincoln,1994; Miles & Huberman, 1994). Finally, while we were analyzing data, wechecked to make sure that we could find no discrepant/negative instancesthat counteracted the findings (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Results

Minnesota’s Online Learning Law

Examining Minnesota’s state law pertaining to online education reveals thatper-pupil state unding ollows students rom their traditional schools to theonline setting (Minnesota Statute 124D.095). As a result, an online schoolis a public school, and its students then are subject to state attendance andtruancy laws. As with many issues related to education, laws and defini-


11/29

tions regarding truancy differ in each state. In Minnesota, Statutes 120A.22and 260A require that, once students enroll in school or by age 7, they mustattend school every hour o every school day through the age o 18, unlessor until they are ormally withdrawn with parental consent afer age 16. Te

law grants schools the ability to define what is considered an excused orunexcused absence (see Appendix A, p. 24). Te difficulty lies in being ableto apply an outdated compulsory attendance law to an online environment.

Attendance Enforcement at MVHS

According to the dean o students, MVHS uses a competency-based calcula-tion to determine what attendance means in the online classroom. Fund-ing is not based on the number o hours that a student “sits” in the onlineclassroom; rather, it is based on course completion and credits earned by the

students. Because students can work at any time o day/night rom any place,the only common denominator among them is progress completion. Whattakes one student to complete in 1 hour may take another student 3 hours.However, the required number o assignments to be completed in a spe-cific course remains constant or all students in that course. While the pathstudents take to that completion will likely differ, the anticipated outcomeis the same. From the dean’s perspective, the reason that the conversion toprogress-based attendance makes sense is that attendance requires a con-

stant. In seat-based schools, this constant is time in a school building. Tisdoes not work or online schools, so a constant needed to be based on thegoal o the virtual school. What made the most sense as a goal was studentspassing classes and earning credits.

Te progress model assumes that the goal is students passing classes. It thendivides that requirement over the course o weeks, and ultimately days, in theschool term. Based on this goal, MVHS school officials determine the requiredpercentage o increase in each class per week toward ull completion. Moststudents take a minimum o five classes each semester. School officials divided

the total percentage o completion needed to earn credit by the number oweeks in a semester and multiplied it by five classes. Tis equates to a 25% in-crease needed (cumulatively considering all classes) per week or attendance.Afer deliberation and consideration, MVHS administration collectively de-termined that each 5% increase amounted to one school day based on a 5-dayschool week, as is ound in traditional schools. For example, i a student ailsto make 10% progress in a particular week, that student would be consideredabsent or 2 days (able 1, p. 12).

Aligning student progress toward course completion with a number odays based on a predetermined expectation provides virtual schools a way tocalculate attendance. Although this ormula may not work or other onlineprograms, the policy necessitates computing a specific amount o progress toa “school day.” In doing so, existing attendance and truancy laws that do notdirectly speak to online learning processes become applicable. ranslating


12/29


and defining truancy vocabulary words (attendance, unexcused absence, ex-cused absence, etc.) or the online environment in a way that county officialscan easily interpret allowed MVHS to use and enorce existing compulsoryattendance statutes.

Academic Considerations

Te dean also indicated that students who become truant because o academicstruggles will also be identified and will have academic interventions ratherthan truancy interventions. Using progress as a measure allows MVHS tomonitor who is struggling academically as well as those students who are ab-sent/truant. In either case, identiying students who are struggling to progressis vital. Te investigation into why a student is behind is part o the interven-tion team’s responsibility to know how best to get students to meet their goals.Te majority o students who require truancy intervention need it because

they simply are not accessing the curriculum or because they are not spendingthe time necessary to master the content in their coursework. Tese studentsneed ormal intervention designed to assist the school in getting them onlineor registered back in a traditional classroom setting. Ofen, these studentseither have the ability but lack the motivation, or they are not able to sel-regu-late enough to complete their studies online.

Feasibility of Truancy Enforcement in Minnesota Virtual Schools

One o identified themes included truancy enorcement in the state o

Minnesota. Tis is a topic that the dean expounded on during her interviews with the researchers. In enorcing the truancy statutes, each o the 87counties in Minnesota differs in its method and approach. Whereas somecounties place students on probation, others provide social services to assiststudents in reestablishing acceptable attendance. Despite the variation, theresponsibility or the initial reporting o truant students alls on the schools.Once students accrue seven unexcused absences or more, schools must filetruancy petitions in the students’ counties o residence. Trough this filing,

schools, county representatives, and amilies o truant students become con-nected in an effort to support improved attendance, interpreted in the onlinesetting as student progress and perormance.

Minnesota Virtual High School’s enorcement procedures, includingthe development o specific interventions, have continued to develop inresponse to students’ needs. Initially, Chisago County officials approached

Table 1. Example of Student Progress Conversion to Number of Absences

Week 1 Percentage of Work Completion Week 1 Days Absent/Potentially Truant

Student A 5% 4 days

Student B 10% 3 days

Student C 25% 0 days


13/29

Wolf Creek Online High School and asked why the school did not petitiontruants to county intervention. In response to this inquiry, while employedat Wolf Creek, the dean of students worked with the county attorney and theadministrative team to review the state statutes and develop a cyber-truancy

policy that would apply to the online environment. When she moved to theposition at MVHS, the dean of students, in collaboration with the direc-tor, modified this policy to fit the needs of the new school. In her currentrole, the dean of students is responsible for implementing and enforcing thecyber-truancy policy as well as the policy of attending all county meetingsand court hearings. She expounded on that process in one of her interviews:

In coordination with the director of the MVHS, I wrote the attendancepolicy for MVHS. We used the Chisago (MN) County required atten-

dance elements as our foundation and referred to Wolf Creek OnlineHigh School’s attendance policy for guidance. We then defined the vari-ous terms (attendance, absence, etc.) based on how they apply to the stu-dents at MVHS given the Internet-based learning environment found atMVHS. We chose to use progress as our measurement of attendance rath-er than amount of time spent online due to the fact that some studentstake longer or less time than others to complete the same amount of work;however, the expectation of the school is that students make progress to-ward successful completion of their courses. (Int. 2, DS)

Te dean explained that, at first, parents/guardians can struggle with the con-cept, but that she holds weekly parental webinars to walk through the trackingspreadsheets, where the information comes from, and how students can achievethe requirements, as well as to allow parents/guardians to ask questions, whichshe reports has proven to be very helpful. In addition, she noted:

Te first line of intervention is always to attempt to have a parent meet-ing one on one with a truancy intervention staff in order to address

specific issues. ruancy problems tend to be worse when parents/guard-ians are not receptive to this process. ypically, those who do engage areable to help resolve the issue without their students requiring truancyintervention. (Int. 3, DS)

o assist in the tracking process, an attendance coordinator was hired tomonitor student progress and send warning letters when necessary (see Ap-pendix B, p. 26). Te following September, the department grew with the ad-dition of another attendance coordinator as well as two truancy interventionprogram specialists, whose job it is to intercede before students become legallytruant. Te intervention program specialists help students get back on trackto successful course completion by making additional phone calls to students,assisting students in contacting teachers, and talking parents through thestructure and mechanics of the online platform. Tis is accomplished using atracking system to monitor student progress in the online environment so


14/29


that personnel are aware of potential issues with student attendance (Fig-ure 2). Personnel attempt to intervene using communication as a primarymechanism. MVHS anticipates an increase in course completion as well asa decrease in truancy filings at the county level because of the addition of

these positions and procedures. Te dean of students described more abouthow attendance and truancy might be enforced in a virtual school settingand what impact that enforcement may have:

Attendance and truancy can be enforced in the virtual school in the sameway that it is in a seat-based school. Te main difference is what is beingmeasured (progress vs. time in a seat). Similar consequences and interventions can be used in the online setting: parent/student/school meet-ings, referrals to counties to intervene, and court attendance if the truancy

cannot be remedied. In Minnesota, students who do not attend schoolfor 15 consecutive days or more must be dropped from their schools’enrollment. Enforcing cyber-truancy policies supports student engage-ment, learning, and course completion. Students who do not attend arenot learning and jeopardize their graduation date. Tis is not an easy partof the online school as it requires personnel and resources; however, itspositive impact makes it important. One of the most important impactsis that students who are not doing well in the online environment canbe identified sooner and counseled to change their behavior or change

school settings. (Int. 2, DS)

Figure 2 is an example of a student’s Excel spreadsheet used at MinnesotaVirtual High School to track weekly, progress-based attendance. Each stu-dent has a spreadsheet to track their individual attendance because there are87 counties in Minnesota, and each county requires different informationwhen filing a truancy petition or requesting an intervention. Te spread-sheet includes all of the information required in the 87 counties.

Te numbers in each of the columns next to the class names represent

the course grade the student has earned in that class as of the last date inthe week. o attain this information, staff members run a report and theninput the numbers. A staff member with knowledge of macros in Excel haswritten a macro to make this possible without too much staff time. Prior tothis method, MVHS used to copy and paste the numbers into each student’sspreadsheet.

Te numbers in the bold boxes are the result of formulas used to deter-mine the progress that a student has made over the week and his/her atten-dance for the week. Te “otal Percentage of All Classes to Date” designatesa cumulative sum of each week’s snapshot, which in turn calculates thecourse grade in all classes. A formula conveniently does the calculations forthe school. Te “Weekly Increase” section provides the difference betweenthe current week and the week prior; this number should be 25 or higher ifa student is in full attendance for the week. And again, a formula does this


15/29

work or the school. “Days Absent Each Week” is a row that represents thesubtraction o the “Weekly Increase” divided by 5 rom the number o daysin a week (5) and determines the number o days that a students has beenabsent each week, which allows them to have negative absences and makeup work or work ahead in the system. And finally, the “Cumulative Absencesin erm” constitutes the total absences a student has had in the term. Tisparticular row is very important in Minnesota because when a student ac-cumulates seven absences, he/she is considered truant and could be sum-

moned beore a judge.It is important to note that that this approach does not assume that time

must be spent online each day. In act, it is based on the premise that ongo-ing progress to complete course content/assignments needs to be made ona regular (in this case, weekly) basis. Te ocus o this approach to onlineattendance is to promote flexibility, productivity, and accountability. Whilethe ormulas that Minnesota Virtual High School uses are described, a simi-lar concept could be applied to any virtual school to track the attendance o

students. Te dean o students at MVHS has assisted other virtual programsin developing a similar concept.Despite these efforts to track students and afer the interventions, i a student

continues to accrue unexcused absences, MVHS files a truancy petition in thestudent’s county o residence, provides documentation o the absences, andmakes appearances in court as required by the counties. Te way that Minnesota

Figure 2. Example of MVHS attendance tracking.


16/29


counties execute their roles in the attendance and truancy statutes differs asmuch as the landscape of Minnesota itself. Although the statutes provide guid-ance to the counties, there is not a mandated course of action that they mustfollow, and each county enforces in varying ways. From the dean’s perspective

and experiences in dealing with a myriad of counties on truancy enforcement,some counties take a punitive approach while others take a preventative orrestorative approach and use punitive measures only as a last resort. Te follow-ing descriptions represent identified themes associated with various counties.

Punitive Approach

Counties that lean toward a punitive approach call students and familiesdirectly into court without any county worker outreach prior to court. Te judges in these counties may give one chance for change in behavior, but

subsequently, a review hearing of 30 days may be set. At the review hear-ing, the student’s school attendance is questioned. If the student has met theattendance requirement, the judge may dismiss the case. If the student hascontinued to be absent without excuse, the judge will sentence the studentto time at a “consequence camp,” resulting in community service or a fine. Inmany circumstances, the judge will order the student to attend a traditionalschool rather than the online school as a way to provide a more structuredenvironment with more typical rules in place. In these counties, MVHS

reports to the court about the student’s attendance (progress), and the courtdetermines the path for the student. From the dean’s perspective, this ap-proach does not necessarily focus on the underlying problem and is morereactive in nature. It penalizes students for not attending and associates aconsequence for their past actions. Although it might remove students fromonline settings who are not a good fit, it may not get at the root of what iscausing the cyber-truancy, which could lead to continued problems.

Preventative/Restorative Approach

Other counties take an approach that attempts to prevent further truancy orinvolvement with the court. In these instances, a diversion worker—either asocial worker or probation officer—will meet with the family, question thecause of the truancies, and attempt to assist the family in complying with thelaw. In these cases, the social worker connects the families with social services, counseling, and other agencies to alleviate issues that may be underly-ing causes of the student’s truancy. Te diversion worker follows the familyclosely and ensures that criteria for staying out of court are met. Te schooland the diversion worker collaborate together in these cases to guide thefamily to correct choices for attendance compliance. Te goal of a preventiveapproach is to identify the root cause and work to prevent cyber-truancyfrom happening in the future. A more preventive approach accesses socialservices to assist students and their families in solving existing problems as-sociated with attendance.


17/29

Te ollowing section describes examples o individual cases that thedean o students provided as a result o her direct interaction with individual students who were truant and their cases within the court system. Sheselected the profiled students to illustrate the different approaches counties

take when it comes to cyber-truancy, in addition to the outcomes that mightresult. She also chose them to illustrate the differences that exist with individual student situations.

Impact of Cyber-Truancy Enforcement: Individual Student Cases

Natasha1. Natasha, a 10th grade student, had truancy issues at her high schoolthroughout 9th and 10th grade. Attempting to avoid court proceedings, she

enrolled at Minnesota Virtual High School in the all. Natasha ound thatwork and riends took priority over school. She became truant by MVHS’sdefinition, which included not logging in to the online curriculum or daysand weeks at a time. According to the dean o students, while extreme, this isnot entirely uncommon in Minnesota. Many students who end up in courtbecause o a traditional truancy violation based on seat time will register oran online school thinking that they will be able to avoid the judicial system.

Due to her issues with cyber-truancy, the attendance team at MinnesotaVirtual High School reerred her to her county o residence. Natasha’s coun-

ty used a punitive approach. ypically, students who live in punitive countiesofen choose to return to traditional schools, as they ultimately learn that thestandard o attendance based on seat time is easier to ollow than that o anonline school using a competency-based approach.

A social worker determined that, due to her history with truancy, Natashaneeded to go directly to court. When her amily heard this, they chose tore-enroll Natasha in her local, traditional school. Te social worker assistedthe amily in communicating with the district about an appropriate school

placement. When the student went to court, the judge issued stern words toNatasha and required that she complete community service hours as well asreturn or a review hearing in 60 days. Te judge warned that Natasha couldbe sentenced to time in juvenile detention i she missed even a single day oschool in those 60 days. Natasha returned to court, and her case was dis-missed because she had ollowed all o the judge’s orders.

Allison. Allison, a seventh grade student, enrolled at Minnesota VirtualHigh School while her parents went through a divorce. Allison lived with hermother, who worked the first shif and had to leave Allison at home during

the day. Her mother’s expectation was that Allison would do her schoolwork;instead, Allison spent her time elsewhere. She became truant, and the at-tendance team at MVHS notified her mother through letters and phone calls.Because this did not resolve the issue, the attendance team reerred Allison

1 Pseudonyms are used to protect student identities.


18/29


to her county of residence for truancy. Allison’s county uses a preventativeapproach, which allowed social services assign a social worker to identify theissues leading to truancy, work with the school, and take steps to return Al-lison to attendance without the need for punitive action. Despite this restor-

ative approach and intervention, Allison’s truancy continued, and the countycontemplated referring the student to court. In this case, the dean of studentsat MVHS was able to intervene and provide Allison with very concrete in-structions concerning her participation in the online setting, and she told herthat if she did not follow these directions, she would be dealing with the courtsystem in her county. Fortunately, Allison chose to follow the guidelines, andbecause of this, she avoided court, stayed enrolled at the online school, andbecame a successful student, earning A’s and B’s in her classes.

Marcus. Marcus, an 11th grade student, enrolled at MVHS during the sec-

ond semester of the school year. Marcus was on probation for fraudulentlycharging on his mother’s credit card, and as part of the probation order, hewas to attend school each and every day. In Marcus’ case, the county waspunitive due to his prior illegal actions. However, they also allowed Marcusto remain in the online school, hoping that the punitive approach would gethim to attend. o help him succeed, the school intervened by identifying thebarriers to attendance, working with Marcus to help him see that attendancewas in his best interest through conversations with the dean of students. Te

truancy interventionist worked with Marcus to complete daily and weeklychecklists. As Marcus completed his assignments, he discovered that hewas a successful student. By engaging more with the school and the curricu-lum, his efforts were reinforced, which led him to see himself as successfulrather than as a failure. Te truancy intervention staff built on this successby having conversations with Marcus about his future, allowing him to con-nect his current success with future dreams.

Within a few weeks, the probation office from the student’s county of resi-dence contacted the school to request weekly attendance records. Coincid-

ing with the request, Marcus had a bad week and did not attend at all. Teprobation officer reported the violation, and Marcus, his family, and a schoolrepresentative were required to attend a court hearing. As a result of thehearing, Marcus was required to serve a weekend at the local consequencecamp, where he had to perform community service, attend group sessionsabout behavior, and complete missed school work. Tis sequence of eventsoccurred again before Marcus realized that he could make positive changesand healthy choices to avoid consequences. Soon, he began to realize that hewas good at school work. In a conversation with the dean of students, Mar-cus shared that he would like to attend college someday and possibly becomea social worker. He recognized the amount of time and commitment on thepart of the probation officer, and he wanted to be able to do that for others.Due to the nature of his offense, Marcus will remain on probation for anotheryear, but he continues to stay on track and is keeping up with his coursework.


19/29

Discussion

In the case of MVHS, enforcing mandatory attendance required comingtogether to establish a common understanding of what it meant to attendin an online setting, including developing definitions of attendance, unex-

cused absences, and excused absences. Although this presented a challengeat first, it was decided that progress on instructional activities toward coursecompletion could be converted using an agreed-upon formula. Once thiswas established, tracking and enforcing attendance became straightforward,and MVHS was able to use a consistent interpretation of existing attendancelaws that were originally intended for use in traditional, brick-and-mortarsettings. Tis is important because it allowed the virtual school to implementenforcement of chronic unexcused absences in addition to offering betterunderstanding of the benefits of addressing cyber-truancy. Several themes

are evident from the current study, including the fact that ensuring studentsuccess in K–12 online learning environments requires additional resources,communication, and education for stakeholders.

Additional Resources

Although it may seem like a difficult task, enforcement of truancy statutesis mandated by state law. MVHS has taken up this charge by committingresources to follow through to monitor the individual progress of students,

keep track of absences, and enforce cyber-truancy. Tis takes dedicated staffwho are well versed in the curriculum, system tracking, and working withfamilies to address potential problems. MVHS decided to create severalpositions, including two new attendance coordinators as well as two truancyintervention program specialists, and dedicated an administrative role tooversee the process. Tis investment in human resources has yielded positiveresults in helping to keep students on track in the online environment. Otherstudents, for whom online education is not a good fit, should be counseledinto more traditional settings. In fact, truancy courts have ordered students

to return to brick-and-mortar schools, as was the case with Natasha.Due to significant documented issues of student dropout and attrition rates

in addition to lack of achievement in online settings (Hawkins & Barbour,2010; Miron & Urshel, 2012; Rice, 2006; Smith, Clark, & Blomeyer, 2005), vir-tual schools need to take an active role in overseeing students’ progress, whichmay require additional staff focused specifically in this area. If progression isnot occurring, it is incumbent upon the virtual school to dedicate resources toinvestigate the situation, determine what level of intervention should be made,and evaluate the outcome. In some cases, this might include utilizing existingstate attendance and truancy laws to access social services.

Communication

With personnel in place who can monitor student progress, communicationbecomes a vital component. MVHS has found that keeping track of student


20/29


progress in the online environment allows or early intervention. At times,this simply means notiying a parent/guardian (see Appendix B, p. 26). Teschool must also make sure that parents understand what is required ostudents, how MVHS is calculating absences, and what needs to be accom-

plished to avoid being considered absent. Although parents/guardians maynot understand the concept at first because they are more amiliar with thetraditional notion o seat time, communication through parental meetings,webinars, and e-mails serve to explain how students can achieve the require-ments. Tis communication is also important to acquaint parents/guardianswith the tracking mechanisms used to determine attendance in the onlinesetting so that they can help to ensure student progress. In addition, theseopportunities provide parents/guardians a chance to ask questions andgain clarification. Communication becomes a critical actor in the online

environment when it comes to cyber-truancy. Tis encompasses convey-ing expectations unique to the virtual setting, not only to students and theiramily members, but also to members o the judicial system, including socialworkers, probation officers, and truancy judges.

Misconceptions Surrounding Online Education

Another implication rom this study is that misconceptions about onlineeducation continue to persist, and education is needed to council students,

amilies, and the court system on the appropriateness o online educa-tion depending on a number o actors. Tese might include predictors oacademic success in K–12 online education, including sel-motivation, sel-regulation, the ability to structure one’s own learning, previous experiencewith technology, a good attitude toward the content, and sel-confidence inacademic endeavors (Roblyer & Marshall, 2002–2003). Other considerationsmay be the level o support offered at home and by the virtual school, as wellas the specific reasons students might be seeking their education online. Stu-dents may assume that classes at MVHS are easier, but this is not the case.

Ofen these students find that an attendance standard based on progress ismore difficult to meet than one using seat time. Additional education andaccurate counseling is required to assure the right fit and to seek a preven-tive approach to attendance problems in the online environment.

Limitations

As with all research studies, the current investigation has limitations that need tobe acknowledged. First, the topic o cyber-truancy is one that has not been ex-plored in the literature. Because o this, a review o related policies rom virtualschools on a national scale is not yet available. An understanding o how virtualschools rom the across the country are addressing or ignoring this issue is animportant topic or uture research. Secondly, this study employs a qualitative,case-study method to explore how one virtual school in Minnesota is dealingwith issues o attendance in the online environment. As a result, findings are not


21/29

generalizable to the broader context o online schools. Although the approachdescribed has experienced success at MVHS, this may or may not be the casein a different setting. Despite these drawbacks, the issue o cyber-truancy is asignificant issue that needs to be examined urther.

Conclusions

Monitoring, encouraging, and enorcing attendance are key responsibili-ties o school personnel (Sheldon, 2007) to ensure that students are in actreceiving instruction. However, without updated policy that pertains directlyto the online environment, virtual schools are lef to interpret existing atten-dance laws, many o which originated in the later part o the 19th century.Te concept o attendance in K–12 online education needs to be redesigned

to meet the needs o a growing number o online students. Until this can beinstituted, virtual schools would benefit rom establishing procedures orenorcing existing truancy statutes. Because these laws differ among states,it is essential that online schools investigate the statutes in their states andconstruct an attendance policy that is understandable to all stakeholders,including students and amilies, school personnel and administration, and judicial system employees.

For online schools to assert and maintain a credible presence as a vi-

able orm o schooling, they must adhere to the state and ederal statutesgoverning educational practices. In the same way that virtual schools aremandated to comply with ederal No Child Lef Behind (2001) policy, theymust also be held accountable or state attendance and truancy statutes.With the growth o online education across the nation, states have a duty towrite policies that define and govern attendance and truancy in the onlineenvironment. Tis may involve equating progress within a course to a givennumber o school days until attendance laws can be revisited to includelanguage specific to online education.

At the same time, virtual schools would benefit rom establishing proce-dures that enact cyber-truancy policies. Tis may include communicatingwith students and parents about absences and truant behavior, interven-ing or students in an effort to alleviate the causes o the truancy, and filingtruancy petitions when necessary. Te purpose o doing so is to intervenewhen a student may be struggling so that action can be taken and assistancecan be immediately provided where necessary. Without careul monitoringand enorcement, students who are not visible in the online environmentrun the risk o alling through the cracks. At a time when students—many owhom are already at risk—have turned to online education as an alternativeto a traditional setting, schools must pay particular attention to attendanceas measured by perormance. While the notion o cyber-truancy continuesto evolve, it must be addressed i K–12 online education is going to continueto be a viable and realistic choice or 21st century students.


22/29


Author Notes

Leanna Archambault is an assistant professor in the Mary Lou Fulton eachers College at

Arizona State University. Her research interests focus on teacher preparation and professional

development for online and blended classrooms; educational policies and practices in online

settings; and effective methods/modes of content delivery to help educators understand and teach

future generations about the key economic, environmental, and social challenges of our time.Please address correspondence regarding this article to Leanna Archambault, P.O. Box 37100,

Mail Code 3151, Phoenix, AZ 85069. E-mail: [email protected]

Kathryn Kennedy is the knowledge manager/researcher for the International Association for

K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL). Her research interests focus on preservice and inservice teach-

er, technology specialist, and school librarian professional development for technology integration

and instructional design in traditional, blended, and online learning environments.

Stacy Bender is the dean of students at Minnesota Virtual High School (a program of Minnesota

ransitions Charter Schools). Her research interests focus on student accountability and success,

online attendance policies and procedures, truancy laws nationwide, and how to engage parentswith online schools.

References

Archambault, L., & Crippen, K. (2009). Examining PACK among K–12 online distance

educators in the United States. Contemporary Issues in echnology and eacher Education,

9(1). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss1/general/article2.cfm

Baker, M. L., Sigmon, J. N., & Nugent, M. E. (2001). ruancy reduction: Keeping students in school.

Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,

U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/188947.pdf

Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). Te importance of being in school: A report on absenteeism inthe nation’s public schools. Retrieved from Everyone Graduates Center website: http://new.

every1graduates.org/the-importance-of-being-in-school/

Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist, 44,

1175–1184.

Bandura, A. (1997). Situated cognition and how to overcome it. In D. Kishner & J. A. Whitson

(Eds.), Situated cognition: Social, semiotic, and psychological perspective (pp. 281–300).

Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Bender, S. A. (2010). Attendance policy and truancy procedures of an online school. Distance

Learning: A Magazine for Leaders, 7 (2), 51–56.

Cavanaugh, C., Gillan, K. J., Kromrey, J., Hess, M., & Blomeyer, R. (2004). Te effects ofdistance education on K–12 student outcomes: A meta-analysis. Naperville, IL: Learning

Point Associates.

Compulsory Instruction. Minn. Stat. §120A.22 (2011).

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Introduction: Te discipline and practice of qualitative

research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Te sage handbook of qualitative research

(2nd ed.). Tousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Feagin, J., Orum, A., & Sjoberg, G. (Eds.). (1991). A case for case study. Chapel Hill, NC:

University of North Carolina Press.

Finn, J. D. (1993). School engagement and students at risk. Washington, DC: National Center

for Educational Statistics.Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). Te discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative

research. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company.

Gottfried, M. (2010). Evaluating the relationship between student attendance and achievement

in urban elementary and middle schools: An instrumental variables approach. American

Educational Research Journal, 47 (2), 434–465.


23/29

Gottfried, M. (2011). Te detrimental effect of missing school. American Journal of Education,

117 (2), 147–182.

Groff, J., Smith, P., & Edmond, . (2010). Public K–12 education as an industry process.

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 22(4), 543–560.

Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K.

Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105–117). Tousand

Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gullatt, D. E., & Lemoine, D. A. (1997). ruancy: What’s a principal to do? American

Secondary Education, 1, 7–12.

Hawkins, A., & Barbour, M. K. (2010) rial periods and completion policies: Te lay of the

United States virtual school landscape. American Journal of Distance Education, 24(1),

5–20.

Heilbrunn, J. (2007). Pieces of the truancy jigsaw: A literature review. National Center for

School Engagement. Retrieved from http://www.schoolengagement.org/index.cfm/

Reports

Karger, H., & Stoesz, D. (2009). American social welfare policy (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Kennedy, K., & Archambault, L. (2012). Offering pre-service teachers field experiences inK–12 online learning: A national survey of teacher education programs. Journal of eacher

Education, 63(3), 185–200. doi:10.1177/0022487111433651

Maxwell, J. A. (1998). Designing a qualitative study. In L. Bickman & D. J. Rog (Eds.),

Handbook of applied social research methods (pp. 69–100). Tousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Miles, M. B, & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Newbury Park,

CA: Sage.

Miron, G., & Urschel, J. L. (2012). A study of student characteristics, school finance, and school

performance in schools operated by K12, Inc. Retrieved from National Education Policy

Center website: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/understanding-improving-virtual

Musser, M. (2011). aking attendance seriously: How school absences undermine student andschool performance in New York City. Retrieved from Attendance Works website: http://

www.attendanceworks.org/research/elementary-school-absenteeism/

Online Learning Option. Minn. Stat. §124D.095 (2011).

Patrick, S., & Sturgis, C. (2013). Necessary for success: Building mastery of world-class skills.

Retrieved from Competency Works website: http://www.competencyworks.org/wp-content/

uploads/2013/02/inacol_cw_issuebrief_building_mastery_final.pdf

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Tousand Oaks,

CA: Sage.

Rice, K. L. (2006). A comprehensive look at distance education in the K–12 context. Journal of

Research on echnology in Education, 38(4), 425–448.Roblyer, M. D., & Marshall, J. (2002–2003). Predicting success of virtual high school distance

learners: Preliminary results from an educational success prediction instrument (ESPRI).

Journal of Research on echnology in Education, 35(2), 241–255.

Roby, D. E. (2004). Research on school attendance and student achievement: A study of Ohio

schools. Education Research Quarterly, 28(1), 3–16.

Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and

the social sciences. New York: eachers College Press.

Sheldon, S. B. (2007). Improving student attendance with school, family, and community

partnerships. Te Journal of Education Research, 100(5), 267–275.

Sheehy, K. (2012, October). States, districts require online ed for high school graduation. U.S.News and World Report. Retrieved from www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-

notes/2012/10/24/states-districts-require-online-ed-for-high-school-graduation

Smink, J., & Heilbrunn, J. (2005). Legal and economic implications of truancy. National DropoutPrevention Center. Retrieved from National Center for School Engagement website: http://

www.schoolengagement.org/index.cfm/Reports


24/29


Smith, R., Clark, ., & Blomeyer, R. (2005) A synthesis o new research on K–12 online learning.

Naperville, IL: Learning Point Associates.

Spradley, J. (1980). Participant observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics o qualitative research: echniques and procedures or

developing grounded theory. Tousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Sturgis, C., & Patrick, S. (2010). When ailure is not an option: Designing competency-based pathways or next generation learning. International Association for K–12 Online Learning.

Retrieved from International Association for K–12 Online Learning website: http://www.

inacol.org/research/docs/iNACOL_FailureNotOption-web.pdf

easley, M. L. (2004) Absenteeism and truancy: Risk, protection, and best practices

implications for school social workers. Children and Schools, 26 (2), 117–126.

ruancy. Minn. Stat. § 260A (2011).

Ungerleider, C., & Burns, . (2003). A systematic review o the effectiveness and efficiency o

networked IC in education: A state o the field report. Council of Ministers Canada and

Industry Canada. Ottawa: Industry Canada.

U. S. Department of Education. (2001). No Child Lef Behind Act o 2001. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html

Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., & Rapp, C. (2011). Keeping pace with K–12 online

learning: An annual review o policy and practice. Evergreen, CO: Evergreen Education

Group. Retrieved from http://kpk12.com/reports/

Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., & Rapp, C. (2012). Keeping pace with K–12 online

learning: An annual review o policy and practice. Evergreen, CO: Evergreen Education

Group. Retrieved from http://kpk12.com/reports/

Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage

Publishing.

Yin, R. (2004). Te case study anthology. Tousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Manuscript received March 27, 2012 | Initia l decision March 1, 2013 | Revised manuscript accepted April 13, 2013

Appendix A

Minnesota Attendance Laws

These laws apply to all students, regardless of age, who are enrolled at any publicly

funded school in the state of Minnesota. Once students enroll at a publicly fundedschool, they subject themselves to these laws.

Minnesota Statute 120A.22 (Compulsory Instruction)

• Defines students who are required to attend school.

• Allows for students aged 16 and 17 to withdraw from school with parent’s writ-

ten consent after student and parent attend a meeting with school personnel to

discuss education options.

• Allows for student aged 18 and older to withdraw from school on their own accord

•

Allows schools to define excused versus unexcused absences.Minnesota Statute 120A.30 (Attendance Officers)

• School boards may authorize attendance officers to investigate truancy or non-

attendance at school and enforce all laws and district rules regarding school

attendance.


25/29

• Attendance officers must notify parents or guardians when students reach habitual

truancy or continued nonattendance of school.

• Attendance officers must also report to county of residence any student who is

habitually truant.

•

Appropriate intervention services should be provided.

Minnesota Statute 120A.34 (Violations; Penalties)

• Defines educational neglect (keeping a child from education).

• States that penalty of such is a petty misdemeanor.

Minnesota Statute 121A.40–121A.56 (Pupil Fair Dismissal Act)

• Defines exclusion, expulsion, suspension, and other reasons why students may be

kept from attending a particular school.

• Allows for readmission of a student given certain guidelines.

Minnesota Stat. 126C.05, Subd. 8 (Average Daily Membership)

• Defines how number of students on a daily basis are counted.

• States that students absent from school for 15 consecutive schools days during the

regular school year or for 5 consecutive school days during summer session shall

be dropped from the roll and classified as withdrawn.

• Compulsory attendance provisions cited in section 120A.22 still apply based on age.

•

Allows for re-enrollment of students if space is available or if student resides indistrict of school.

Truancy Laws

These laws apply to all students under the age of 18 years who attend any school—

including a homeschool—in the state of Minnesota. Because students must be

enrolled in some form of school environment after the age of 7, these laws apply to

all students aged 7 until their 18th birthday. Counties vary on their enforcement of

the truancy law because of parent/student ability to withdraw from school at age 16;

however, several counties pursue truancy until the day of the student’s 18th birthday.

Minnesota Statute 260A.02 (Definitions)

Defines continuing truant student as one who is absent without excuse for 3 or more

class periods on 3 days in middle school or high school.

Minnesota Statute 260A.03 (Notice to Parent or Guardian When Child is

Continuing Truant)

• Requires that the school notify the parent or guardian of the following:

• The student is truant

• The definitions of excused absences

• How to report those absences

• That parents are obligated to compel attendance of the child

• That the parent and child could be subject to juvenile or family court proceedings


26/29


• Requires that the school attempt to intervene and make appropriate efforts to

resolve the student’s attendance problems.

Minnesota Statute 260C.007, Subd. 19 (Habitual Truant Defined)

•

Defined habitual truant student as one who is absent without excuse for one or moreclass period on 7 school days if the student is in middle school or high school.

• Places habitual truancy under the prevue of county attorneys as a Child in Need of

Protection matter.

• Requires that the school attempt to intervene and make appropriate efforts to

resolve the student’s attendance problems.

Minnesota Statute 260C.143 (Procedure; Habitual Truants, Runaways, Offenders)

• Attendance officers report habitual truants to the county of residence and follow

their procedures. • County of residence may file notice that habitual truants must appear before a judge.

• Parents are notified in every case and required to appear with habitual truant in court.

• Peace officers may transport habitual truant to court or to school as needed.

• Child’s absence from school presumed to be due to parent’s failure to comply with

laws if the child is under 12 years old.

• Child’s absence from school presumed to be due to the child’s intent to be absent

from school if the child is older than 12.

Appendix B

Sample Communication Letter to Parents—5 Days Unexcused Absence

Dear Parent or Guardian of _________________,

We are concerned about your student’s lack of progress in our school. How can we help?

Expectations of successful students at MN Virtual High School are outlined below:

• Students consistently log 20–25 hours/week of documented learning on thecomputer.

• Students make adequate weekly progress (25% or more overall completion per

week).

• Students communicate questions, computer problems, and school struggles with

the school immediately so as to be able to make adequate weekly progress.

• Students attend all required testing days as per school policy.

Your student has been absent without excuse for at least 5 consecutive days. State

law requires that students who do not attend school for 15 consecutive days must be

removed from the school’s enrollment.

In addition, your child is considered to be a continuing truant according to Min-

nesota law. Depending on your county of residence, your student may be referred to

the county attorney’s office. If that occurs and you receive notification from the county


27/29

attorney’s office, you and your student must comply with all requests and orders

from that office. The point of all interaction with the school and with the county is to

impress upon the student the importance of school attendance and work completion

as well as what the school requires of your student in order to avoid further truancy

interventions by the school or by your county of residence. In order to resolve this mat-ter, your student’s school attendance (logging in and completing work) must improve

immediately.

If you have reason to believe that these absences should be considered excused

absences, please obtain proper verification (doctor’s note, funeral information, etc.)

and provide that documentation within 3 days of the absence. Please note that the

curriculum is available to students 24 hours each day, 7 days each week. Therefore,

excused absences are granted in extreme circumstances. Please email the attendance

email: [email protected].

If your student continues to meet the criteria for unexcused absences and accrues7 or more days of unexcused absences, your student will be considered a habitual

truant, and the school may file a truancy petition on your student in accordance with

the procedures within your county of residence.

Minnesota state law requires every child under the age of 18 to attend school

each day. Children 16 and 17 years old must have parental permission and formally

withdraw from school to discontinue attendance. We are mandated by law to refer tru-

ant students to the County’s Attorney Office, but we would very much like to see your

student’s attendance improve before county intervention. Please refer to the studentattendance policy if you have further questions.

If your student’s case does get referred to the County Attorney’s Office and your

student is found to be truant, the court will make orders so that your child goes back to

school and is no longer truant. While every county in Minnesota differs in its approach to

truancy, they all take truancy seriously. The court can order that your child be assigned

a probation officer or the court may order the county’s social services agency to provide

service to your student. In addition, the court can order community service work hours

and has the authority to take away a student’s driver’s license or learner’s permit.

Minnesota law states:

CHAPTER 260A

260A.03 Notice to Parent and/or Guardian When Child is a Continuing Truant

Upon a child’s initial classification as a “continuing truant,” the school attendance officer

or other designated school official will notify the child’s parent or legal guardian, by first

class mail or other reasonable means, of the following:

• That the child is truant

• That the parent or guardian should notify the school if there is a valid excuse for

the child’s absence

• That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance of the child at

school pursuant to Section 120A.22, and parents or guardians who fail to meet

this obligation may be subject to prosecution under Section 120A.34


28/29


• That this notification serves as the notification required by section 120A.34

• That alternative programs and services may be available in the district

• That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with the appropriate school

personnel to discuss solutions to the child’s truancy

•

That if the child continues to be truant, the parent and child may be subject to juvenile court proceedings under Chapter 260C

• That if the child is subject to juvenile court proceedings, the child may be subject to

suspension, restriction, or delay of the child’s driving privilege pursuant to Section

260C.201, education programs, and, in extreme cases, out of home placement

Sincerely,

Dean of Students


29/29

C o p y r i g h t o f J o u r n a l o f R e s e a r c h o n T e c h n o l o g y i n E d u c a t i o n i s t h e p r o p e r t y o f I n t e r n a t i o n a l

S o c i e t y f o r T e c h n o l o g y i n E d u c a t i o n a n d i t s c o n t e n t m a y n o t b e c o p i e d o r e m a i l e d t o m u l t i p l e

s i t e s o r p o s t e d t o a l i s t s e r v w i t h o u t t h e c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r ' s e x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n .

H o w e v e r , u s e r s m a y p r i n t , d o w n l o a d , o r e m a i l a r t i c l e s f o r i n d i v i d u a l u s e .

K-12 Digital Truancy

Documents

Transcript of K-12 Digital Truancy