School-Community Partnerships
TRP: Truancy Reduction Program
Working to improve school attendance, increase academic performance, and strengthen families.
Overview
The Truancy Reduction Program is successful because it focuses on early intervention and stresses collaboration between schools and juvenile probation officers. Home visits with youths and their families and pooled resources foster mutual cooperation, producing significant results. Since the program began, chronic school absences and tardiness have decreased at participating schools. The program, created in 1989, is sponsored by the Kern County Probation Department and the Kern County Substance Abuse Prevention Education Consortium, composed of 39 districts representing 119 K-12 schools. It is funded through the Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. Components include assessment, home visits, weekly school contacts, counseling with the student and family, referrals to community resources, mentoring and evaluation. Students referred to the program are usually monitored for an entire academic year.
The goal, however, is to stop truant behavior within four months. The program targets students in kindergarten through 10th grade who have at least four unexcused absences and/or incidents of arriving late to class by 30 minutes or more. Evaluation data help schools, agencies and community partners choose the most appropriate strategies for preventing truancy. The program works to increase attendance and academic performance, and to strengthen families. Since 1989, more than 6,000 students have been helped to stay in school. Attendance data show the program works. After three months in the program, participants' unexcused absences dropped 43 percent in the 1995-96 academic year.
For more information contact, Daryl G. Thiesen, Prevention Programs Coordinator at (661) 636-4757 or email: dathiesen@kern.org.
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Truancy Related Codes - Education Code Section 48260-48273
- Ed. Cd. 48264 Truant - To be used if juvenile is contacted during school hours away from school with no legitimate reason for being out of school. The juvenile can be cited after which time he/she must be transported back to school or released to a parent. Juvenile Hall will not accept juveniles cited for this section.
- Ed. Cd. 48262 Habitual Truant - Juvenile may be cited for this section as directed by the District Attorney's Office after juvenile has been through the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) process.
- Ed. Cd. 48293 (a)(1) Allowing Juvenile to be Truant - Parent may be cited for this section as directed by the District Attorney's Office after parent and juvenile have been through the SARB process.
- PC 272 Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile - Parent may be arrested if not making proactive steps to encourage juvenile to attend school. This section to be used when sufficient interventions have previously been attempted with no results. California Penal Code 272
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Truancy Officer Monthly Reporting Form (pdf)
Truancy Officer End of Year Reporting Form (pdf)
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CDE Truancy
-Definition of a Truant
-First Notification Mandate
-Habitual Truant Mandate
-Interventions
-Penalties (student and parent)
-Truancy RateHabitual Truant: Suspension or Delay of Driving Privilege
Helpful Hints for School Staff Members
How do you handle chronic tardiness?
KC Probation Department Sample PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION
Manual To Combat Truancy - July 1996, prepared by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice
Parents Tip Sheet on Improving School Attendance
Referral Steps
SARB - School Attendance Review Board
School Attendance Improvement Handbook (pdf)
School Attendance Improvement Strategies
Stay In School Brochure in English and Spanish (pdf)
Student Profile
2004 TRP Brochure English (pdf)
2004 TRP Brochure Spanish (pdf)
TRP School Sample Parent Letter - generic
TRP Questions and Answers (1997)
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RESULTS:
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Summary of Findings 2005-2006 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 2004-2005 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 2003-2004 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 2002-2003 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 2001-2002 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 2000-2001 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 1999-2000 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 1998-1999 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 1997-1998 (pdf)
Summary of Findings 1996-1997 (pdf)
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Memorandum of Understanding with the Kern County Probation Department
MOU 2002-2003 (pdf)
MOU 2003-2004 (pdf)
MOU 2004-2005 (pdf)
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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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