Child Welfare & Attendance
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
As many as 7.5 million students nationwide miss nearly a month of school every year,
excused and unexcused absences that erode student achievement.
The best curriculum and instruction
won’t work unless students show up for school.
The Purpose of CWA
The Purpose of CWA
The Purpose of CWA
- Support district and school efforts to combat chronic absence and truancy through multi-level approaches
- Identify best practices, provide training and education, and facilitate forums for sharing strategies
- Assist with establishing and maintaining community partnerships
- Support families in addressing barriers to school attendance
Initiatives & Resources
Initiatives & Resources
Initiatives & Resources
In School + On Track 2016
Attorney General’s toolkit aimed at how to talk to parents of elementary school students about their children’s absences.
Attendance Awareness Month Campaign – Attendance Works
- http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/what-to-do-when/
U.S. Department of Education
Every Student, Every Day: A National Initiative to Address and Eliminate Chronic Absenteeism
Every Student, Every Day: A Community Toolkit to Address & Eliminate Chronic Absenteeism
Get Schooled
California Department of Education, Child Welfare and Attendance
University of Chicago Consortium on School Research: Attendance and Grades are Best Indicators for Success
Truancy / SARB
Truancy / SARB
Truancy / SARB
Definition of a Truant Student
A pupil who is absent from school without valid excuse for three days in one school year, or is tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school year without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination of the above. Education Code § 48260.
A pupil who is absent from school without valid excuse for three days in one school year, or is tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school year without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination of the above. Education Code § 48260.
Truancy Mediation (9th through 12th grade)
As students get older, more accountability is expected of them. The District Attorney may determine that a truant High School or possibly a Jr. High student is responsible for their own truancy. If after repeated letters and warnings and meeting with the student and parent, the student continues to be truant the District Attorney's office may file a Welfare and Institutions Code violation 601b - Habitual Truancy against the student.
As students get older, more accountability is expected of them. The District Attorney may determine that a truant High School or possibly a Jr. High student is responsible for their own truancy. If after repeated letters and warnings and meeting with the student and parent, the student continues to be truant the District Attorney's office may file a Welfare and Institutions Code violation 601b - Habitual Truancy against the student.
Resources
Resources
Resources
California Department of Education - Truancy
Definitions, Notifications, Penalties - - - http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/
In School + On Track 2016
Definitions, Notifications, Penalties - - - http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/
In School + On Track 2016
School Attendance Review Board (SARB)
School Attendance Review Board (SARB)
School Attendance Review Board (SARB)
SARB’s as multi-agency partnerships, recognize the extensive costs to students, families and communities that truancy causes. Composed of representatives from schools and community agencies, SARB’s meet regularly to provide support and interventions to students with school attendance and discipline problems and their families. In addition, SARB’s empower individual schools and districts to effectively respond to the issues of truancy and enforce the California mandatory school attendance regulations through the court process when necessary.
SARB Resources:
California Department of Education SARB Information
California Department of Education SARB Handbook and Forms
State SARB Handbook:
Truancy Mediation - Butte County program (9th – 12th grade)
A partnership between Butte County Office of Education and the Butte County District Attorney’s office specifically designated to address attendance concerns with high school students where there is no district SARB or a school/SARB determines that Mediation would be more appropriate for a particular student.
A partnership between Butte County Office of Education and the Butte County District Attorney’s office specifically designated to address attendance concerns with high school students where there is no district SARB or a school/SARB determines that Mediation would be more appropriate for a particular student.
By high school, regular attendance is a better dropout indicator than test scores.