Truancy prevention in Southwest Virginia

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Carrie Mercedith Cooper (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Bruce Henderson

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a truancy prevention program operated by a rural school district in southwest Virginia in reducing absenteeism and improving academic performance for students. The truancy prevention program consists of an early warning system by which school personnel and other professionals (known as the Truancy, Academic, Assistance, and Response Team or TAART) meet with students with frequent absences, poor academic performance, or behavioral problems. Referral to a truancy officer, who pursues legal action against chronically absent students and/or their parents, is a commonly used intervention, but other supportive measures are also utilized. Analysis using repeated measures t-tests indicated no observable impacts on student attendance or academics after participation in the TAART meetings at one-year follow-up or from last semester when data was available. Correlations using change scores did not yield significant relationships between absences, numerical grades, or number of TAART meetings attended.

Additional Information

Publication
Other
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Court-Based Truancy Interventions, Dropout Prevention, Program Evaluation, Truancy, Truancy Prevention, Truancy Prevention Programs
Subjects
School attendance -- Virginia
Dropouts -- Virginia -- Prevention
Academic achievement -- Virginia

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