Truancy laws

Truancy laws

the law states that the school district must notify the parent or guardian of the truant by the most cost-effective method possible, and that the notification must include specific information related to the student's unexcused absences.

The law further requires that after a student has been reported as a truant three or more times in one school year and after an appropriate school employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one meeting with the parent and the student, the student is deemed a habitual truant.

When a student is a habitual truant, or is irregular in attendance at school, or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during school, the student may be referred to a school attendance review board (SARB) or to the county probation department pursuant to EC Section 48263. The student may also be referred to a probation officer or district attorney mediation program pursuant to EC Section 48263.5. The intent of these laws is to provide intensive guidance to meet the special needs of students with school attendance problems or school behavior problems pursuant to EC Section 48320. 

Truancy prevention

According to Baker, Sigmon, and Nugent (2001), programs that show the most promise in reducing truancy and other risk factors have several key elements:

• Parental involvement
• Meaningful sanctions or consequences for truancy
• Meaningful incentives for attendance
• Ongoing school-based truancy-reduction programs
• Involvement of community resources
• Mentoring programs
• campaigns
• Other strategies, such as improving parent–teacher communication and drawing on community resources

Edited and Written by: Karla Romero

Source:

• http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Truancy_Prevention.pdf

• http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/