Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program for Educational Leaders
Advisor
Harvey Sadoff
Committee Member
F. Dennis Triplett
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Committee Member
Claudia Santin
Keywords
Alabama, attendance, attendance patterns, attendance policy, attendance problems, attendance supervisor, child welfare, collaboration, continuation students, counseling, dropouts, education, evaluation, families, home visits, intervention strategies, judicial system, parenting classes, poverty, referrals, runaways, school attendance, school holding power, social service agencies, social services, students, summative evaluation, truancy, truancy intervention, truant students
Abstract
This applied dissertation describes the attendance problems of students at Wellborn High School. Wellborn High School is 1 of 7 high schools in the Calhoun County School District. Located in a community with a high poverty rate and limited employment opportunities, the school has the highest percentage of truancy of 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade students in the district. Many parents of this community do not value education; therefore, they are indifferent to enforcing the attendance policy of the school district.
A review of selected literature was conducted to identify causes of truancy. After identification of many characteristics of truancy and truant students, the review of the literature focused on successful models of truancy intervention programs. Included in the review of literature was evidence that there are many obscure reasons that a child may be truant; often, it is the home life of the child. A strong line of evidence was presented that truancy is not an isolated problem to be dealt with by just the education system. There must be a multifaceted approach to dealing with truancy. One such approach included collaboration with the judicial system and social services.
The truancy intervention plan expanded current procedures. Truant students and parents were referred directly to the judicial system to enforce Alabama state law requiring school attendance. There were no intervention strategies to assist the parents in addressing the real cause of truancy. This intervention plan included 1-to-1 strategies with individual families. Strategies included home visits by the attendance supervisor and referrals to social service agencies. Social service agencies provided parenting classes, counseling, and other programs needed for the family. The attendance supervisor closely monitored the student and family. The methods of evaluation were both formative and summative. These determined if the new program had been implemented as well as determined if the intervention strategies improved attendance.