It is not just Truancy Presentation to the

It is not just Truancy! Presentation to the Education, Truancy, Dropout & Literacy Committee Jonathan T. Brice Chief Officer Special Services Duval County Public Schools

Presentation Format 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. At-Risk Students Problem Statement National Data District Data Causation Truancy Recommended Solutions

At Risk Students At-Risk of academic failure present the following symptoms: n n n Low Achievement Overage for Grade (Retention) Truant Disciplinary Offenses Dropout.

Problem Statement Student truancy and the drop-out problem cannot be attributed to distinct variables but rather should be linked to four broad categories; community-based, school-based, family-based, and individual-based variables.

Problem Statement Continued: Infinite Variables Infinite variables within each category contribute to an on-going process of school disengagement and truancy that culminates in students dropping out of school.

Problem Statement Continued: Solutions Solving truancy and the drop out problem requires a complex understanding of the educational, societal, and cultural phenomena that support or hinder student truancy and dropping out of school.

National Data Of Every 100 Students (25 -29) (Education Trust, 2008) White African Latino American Indian H. S. Graduate 94 89 62 71 Some College 66 51 31 30 Bachelor’s Degree 34 18 10 12

National Data Continued. n 9 Seconds (Nat. Dropout Prevention Ctr. ) n 3. 5 million dropouts 16 -25 n $192 Billion or 1. 6% GDP (The Last Dropout-CIS)

District Data (DCPS, Research and Evaluation) n n n Over 17, 700 students absent 20+ days 17 out of 22 high schools have dropout rates above the state average of 3. 5%. DCPS dropout is 6. 6% 11, 349 students two+ years overage (9% of student enrollment)

District Data (DCPS, Research and Evaluation) Enrollment Students w/ 20+ absences 2+yrs overage E. S. School 61067 M. S. School H. S. School 27839 33309 6900 (11%) 4700 (16. 8%) 4900 (14. 7%) 1734 (2. 8%) 4769 (17. 1%) 4846 (14. 5%)

Causation There is no single cause for At-Risk students but multiple variables including: n n Community Schools Family Individual Students.

Community-based variables leading to increased truancy can include dysfunctional home environments that cause or support student disengagement, peer affiliations that encourage skipping school, and numerous other issues.

School-based variables leading to increased truancy include poor instructional programs fostering student disengagement, ineffective use or the absence of attendance monitoring systems, inhospitable adult school culture, and numerous other issues.

Family-based variables leading to increased truancy include dysfunctional family structures that inhibit or impact regular student attendance.

Individual-based variables leading to increased truancy include peer culture, disciplinary problems, and academic disengagement.

Truancy Defined Florida law defines "habitual truant" as a student who has 15 or more unexcused absences within 90 calendar days with or without the knowledge or consent of the student's parent or guardian, and who is subject to compulsory school attendance.

2007 -2008 Truancy Efforts Three pronged strategy 1. Reorganization of staff assignments 2. Attendance Matrix 3. Use of truancy centers

Attendance Services Staffing Staff Placement 2006 -2007 -2008 District Wide (159 Schools) 18 Staff avg. 9 schools Priority Schools (7 Schools) 10 Staff avg. 15. 9 schools 13 Staff avg. 2 per school Truancy Centers (4 sites) 11 Staff avg. 3 staff per site 7 Staff avg. 2 staff per site 6 Staff avg. 2 schools

Attendance Matrix n n Provides clear direction for schools and district support to schools Focuses both on unexcused and excused absences Requires earlier intervention See handout

Truancy Centers n 4 sites n Geographically located n Students “collected” by JSO and DCPS truancy personnel.

Recommended Solutions 1. Three pronged approach: Create Multiple Pathways for students to graduate. 2. Hire more attendance social workers. n 3. Place a graduation coach in each high school and middle school.

Multiple Pathways Develop additional pathways for students to graduate. Students should be able to select from a broad cross-section of opportunities including liberals arts education, math and science education, technical education, skilled craft training, and GED.

Attendance Social Workers Reducing the number of schools served by each attendance social worker will enable them to more effectively pursue truant students, document their social history, and then refer students and parents to a school or communitybased service provider.

Graduation Coaches A program in Georgia has placed one graduation coach in each high school. The coaches are responsible for identifying students at risk for not graduating-those who have failed course, state exit assessments, etc. The graduation coaches also facilitate business speakers, internships for students, and provide post-secondary counseling support to students. DCPS should add a graduation coach to each high school.

Last Thoughts n n n One-size fits all programming will not address the needs of all students. Varied solutions serving niche markets of students will work. Serving niche markets of students is costly but so is our current approach of one-size fits all schooling.

Websites and Contact Information n Education Trust n n National Dropout Prevention Center/Clemson University n n http: //www 2. edtrust. org/edtrust/ http: //www. dropoutprevention. org/ bricej@educationcentral. org