TRP Questions and Answers (1997)

Inter-Agency Collaboration to Improve School Attendance, Increase Academic Performance and Strengthen Families

1.  Describe the program.  What is the innovation?

The Kern County Truancy Reduction Program (TRP) is a collaborative effort of the County Probation Department, the County Superintendent of Schools Office, 39 school districts and several child and family service agencies.  TRP's goal is to provide comprehensive, integrated services to truant students and their families to reduce delinquent behavior and the risk factors leading to such behavior.  Since 1990, our program has significantly reduced truancy and chronic tardiness and increased students' chances of academic success.  In 1996, during a satellite town meeting, United States Department of Education Secretary Riley recognized Kern County's TRP as a national model.

TRP primarily assists elementary and junior high students with four or more unexcused absences.  Students are in the program for a least six months receiving the following services:

School Site Interventions:

  • Student Assistance Program referral
  • Parent conferences
  • Home visits
  • Academic assistance
  • Counseling
  • Referral to health, mental health, or social services
  • Peer helping projects
  • Peer mentor programs - high school students tutoring elementary school TRP students
  • Parent education

Probation Department Interventions:

  • Probation Officers interview students, conduct home visits, refer families to appropriate services, and regularly counsel the students.
  • Probation Officers train school personnel on gangs and drug use prevention.

If necessary, citations can be issued to truant students.  The Kern County Traffic Court can assess fines up to $250, suspend or restrict the minor's driving license, or order the student to complete up to 20 hours of community service.  A program of the North Kern Municipal Court also holds the parents of truant students accountable.

The TRP is innovative because it redirects Probation Department resources to prevention and family support services.  Prior to TRP, the Probation Department was rarely involved in truancy problems until a law was violated.  Probation intervention was usually limited to a warning letter sent to the truant student's parents.  Currently, there are Probation Officers dedicated to truancy prevention, getting to know the truant student and his family, and discovering the underlying causes of the truancy.  The officers have become partners in community collaboratives, working with others to provide families with necessary support and services.  When necessary, Probation Officers call on Child Protective Services to intervene.  Now, with the clout, training, and resources of the Probation Department, truancy can be addressed effectively.

2.  What problem(s) does your innovative program address?

Studies show that chronic school absenteeism is the most powerful predictor of delinquent behavior.  Truancy is associated with vandalism, petty criminal activity, gang involvement, alcohol and drug use, early sexual activity, teen pregnancy, and poor academic performance.

Truancy's logical end - dropping out of school - leads to a life of poverty and struggle.  High school dropouts are two-and-a-half times more likely to be on welfare as high school graduates.  Dropping out of school is also associated with adult criminal activity.  Kern County law enforcement officers estimate that nearly 90 percent of adult offenders currently in the criminal justice system are high school dropouts.

Usually, truancy is symptomatic of other problems the child may be facing.  While truancy among primary grade students is often the result of neglect, parental substance abuse, and/or poor parenting skills, it may also be the result of cultural misunderstanding.  For example, many new immigrant parents are unaware that school attendance is legally mandated.  Among older students, truancy may be the result of poor parental control and supervision, but may equally be the result of social intimidation (for example, not having the proper clothing or feeling isolated from peers), harassment by other students, or involvement with an anti-social peer group.  Among new immigrant families, older children may be kept out of school to work or to provide child care for younger siblings.

TRP focuses on the underlying causes of truant behavior, seeking to reduce the risk factors leading to delinquent behavior.

3.  Who are the current and potential beneficiaries of your program?  What are the direct or indirect benefits to citizens?

Truancy is a costly societal problem.  It costs students an education, resulting in reduced earning capacity.  It costs taxpayers, who must pay higher taxes for law enforcement and welfare costs for dropouts who end up on welfare rolls or underemployed.  It costs school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in lost federal and state funds that are based on daily attendance figures.  It costs businesses, which must pay to train undereducated workers.

TRP BENEFITS:

Benefits to students referred to TRP:

  • Increased school attendance
  • Improved academic performance
  • Referral to counseling and other student assistance programs
  • Postitive relationship with a law enforcement officer

Benefits to families of TRP students:

  • Referral to health, mental health, and social services

School-wide Benefits:

  • Increased State funding due to higher Average Daily Attendance
  • Improved test scores
  • Reduced discipline problems
  • Improved school safety

Community Benefits:

  • Decreased dropout rates
  • Increased high school graduation rates
  • Better educated and employable population
  • Reduced vandalism and crime due to fewer unsupervised youth on the streets
  • Reduced adult crime rate
  • Reduced rates of teenage pregnancy and gang involvement

Taxpayers Benefits:

  • Reduction in resources needed for law enforcement, jails, and welfare payments.
4. What are the most significant achievements of the program?

Since 1990, more than 6500 students have benefited from the Truancy Reduction Program.  Quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods have shown that the program is highly effective at reducing truancy:

1996/97 Results

  • 41.5% of TRP students* had no unexcused absences after TRP intervention.
  • 60.5% of TRP students* had less than 4 unexcused absences after TRP intervention.

1995/96 Results

  • 9.4% of TRP students* had no unexcused absences after TRP intervention.
  • 33% of TRP students* had less than 4 unexcused absences after TRP intervention.

1994/95 Results

  • 17.7% of TRP students* had no unexcused absences after TRP intervention.
  • 40% of TRP students* had less than 4 unexcused absences after TRP intervention.

*Students must have 4 or more unexcused absences for TRP referral.

      The program enjoys strong school, community and parental support as evidenced by the student, parent, teacher, and school administrator surveys conducted as part of the 1996/97 program year evaluation.  According to Michael Warren, a parent of a TRP student:  "We call them (probation officers) and ask for help sometimes.  I appreciate the fact that they are there to help us, not point fingers.  They connected us to the community food bank and Operation Back to School (for clothers)"

      Probation Officers no longer work in isolation.  In local communities, Probation Officers have become members of a multi-disciplinary team of service providers, including the Kern County Mental Health Department, the County Health Department, Child Protective Services, and non-profit organizations.  Team members work collaboratively to protect children and address the needs of local families.

      5.  How replicable is the program?  What obstacles might others encounter?

      The program is easily replicable.  Indeed, it has already been replicated in Kern County by a school district, which sought a full time Probation Officer to work exclusively with its truant students.  All schools have access to Federal Title IV (Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act) monies, which fund the Kern County Truancy Reduction Program.

      The Kern County TRP has been highly successful because school personnel and Probation Officers can refer students and families to services, which are coordinated by local collaboratives, such as Healthy Start projects and Neighborhood Partnerships.  Integrated services are made available to families on school campuses or in other accessible locations.  If a system of integrated services does not exist in the geographical area where the truancy reduction program is operating, it would be more difficult to link families with needed services.

      Other obstacles might include inadequate financial resources to hire Probation Officers, the absence of a mechanism for school districts to pool Title IV funds, or a lack of commitment by the Probation Department to devote resources to prevention rather than more traditional law enforcement activities.

      6.  List all current funding sources.

      Federal Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act funds.  Thirty-nine school districts, which are members of the Kern County Substance Abuse Prevention Education (KCSAPE) Consortium pool their Title IV entitlements to fund the Truancy Reduction Program and other prevention programs.

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      Back to TRP: Truancy Reduction Program home page

      *Kern County Substance Abuse Prevention Education* *Prevention Education* *Prevention Service Links* *Prevention Training Program Course Descriptions*
      *Prevention Workshop Calendar* *Safe Schools* *School-Community Partnerships* *KCSOS home*


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