School Policies and Procedures That Reduce Truancy Rates

Introduction and School Background

Student truancy is a growing problem in the United States. Over the last twenty years, truancy rates have grown nationwide, with the highest rates concentrated in inner cities (Jacob & Lovett, 2017). Research indicates that student truancy leads to potential socially deviant behavior in adulthood (Dronkers, Veerman, & Pong, 2017). Many students who are absent for prolonged periods are more likely to perform poorly academically, risking failure in classes and facing disciplinary action. Characteristics of schools with high truancy rates include reliance on purely punitive truancy programs, lack of alternative study options for suspended students, and absence of counseling and tutoring (Bye, 2010). There are schools, however, that have maintained low truancy rates by offering students tutoring options, allowing distance learning for suspended students, and adopting a mixture of punitive and non-punitive measures (Duarte & Hatch, 2014).

With a national ranking of 764 and a Florida ranking of 66, Charter Secondary School is considered one of the best high schools in the state regarding student attendance rates and overall school participation (Great Schools!, 2017). The school has low truancy among minority students — a notable and distinctive quality that makes it an anomaly in the surrounding area (Great Schools!, 2017). First established in 2005, Charter Secondary School is a public charter school built on a university campus, sitting on five acres of property. The current enrollment stands at 599 students, and the campus type is suburban (Great Schools!, 2017). Rated 'A' as a college preparatory school, it holds a municipal charter serving students from grades 6–12 (Charter Secondary School, 2007).

In its early history, Charter Secondary School was originally a middle school established in 1997 under a different name (Charter Secondary School, 2007). Nine portable structures comprised the school and served as an alternative for students who would otherwise attend a nearby middle school. After eight years, the school secured more funding and, in 2005, was renamed and gained a permanent structure thanks to donations from community members and additional funds from the North Dade Medical Foundation.

The school draws funds from two separate streams. One portion comes from a bond issue approved by residents and a large two-year grant from the North Dade Medical Foundation for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. The school raises the remainder of its operating expenses through state FTE funding — a set amount for each student in the classroom per day — and through the collection of student fees for materials and trips (Charter Secondary School, 2007).

The school has 31 full-time teachers for a student population of 598 students, reflecting a ratio of fewer than 20 students per teacher (19:1) (USNEWS, 2017). The percentage of economically disadvantaged students stands at 33%, with minority enrollment at 83%. Although class attendance is high and 81% of students sit for AP exams, only 47% — less than half — pass them. English and Mathematics proficiency levels lie at 70% and 68% respectively, which is above both the district and nationwide average (USNEWS, 2017). With a College Readiness Index of 48.8, the school has room for improvement.

While students earn average test scores overall, those who attend this school perform better than students at other schools in the same district (USNEWS, 2017). The district average for English proficiency is 50% and for Mathematics proficiency is 37%; the district average for college readiness is 44.7. This data represents assessments conducted across 113 schools serving 113,242 students (USNEWS, 2017). With a graduation rate of 98%, Charter Secondary School presents a case worthy of further study.

Understanding the Reasons for Truancy

There are several reasons for truancy, and they are often complex and varied. Research on truancy suggests that a negative school environment, student behavior, family economic status, and mental health problems are key contributors (Dronkers, Veerman, & Pong, 2017; Dembo, Wareham, Schmeidler, Briones-Robinson, & Winters, 2014). A negative school environment can create serious obstacles for students wishing to learn. Schools in Florida often have large classrooms, making it difficult for students to focus and receive the attention necessary for understanding the curriculum (Losen, 2015). If a student has questions or needs examples for a specific assignment, the teacher may not have the time or patience to address that student while also managing 29 others, all needing the same level of attention.

Many schools across the country have strict policies regarding disruptive student behavior that can result in suspension or even expulsion. Several factors can cause disruptive behavior among students (Losen, 2015). One common reason is poverty: "high levels of poverty have a negative effect on school behavior. This is attributed largely to the chronic and acute stress experienced by students living in poverty. The exposure is associated with externalizing behaviors that are disruptive in school settings" (Hutcheson, 2014, p. 1). Students facing poverty may be part of an unstable household, enduring problematic or abusive home environments and a lack of resources. These students need opportunities to learn from their mistakes and receive help that could make a positive difference in their lives. Instead, they are frequently suspended or expelled without being given the chance to improve, and high rates of suspension can lead to higher truancy rates.

"The bifactor structure reflected a general factor of Problems in Behavioral Engagement and two group factors: Problems in Social Engagement and Problems in Academic Engagement" (Barghaus et al., 2016, p. 154). Researchers note that students often may not have problems academically, but rather socially — they may not feel comfortable engaging with other students due to fear of judgment or an inability to socialize effectively. Providing students with tools to engage both socially and academically can allow for a greater percentage of positive academic outcomes. Student interest may also play a key role in truancy (Dronkers, Veerman, & Pong, 2017), since suspensions and expulsions may negatively affect student interest. When students receive suspensions, they lose access to schoolwork, and when the suspension ends they may have increased difficulty catching up with the class (Reid, 2014).

If there is no option to complete schoolwork and the student cannot contact the teacher for assignments, it places that student at an automatic disadvantage (Reid, 2014). This is especially true for students who already struggle academically. Falling further behind when a student already has low grades can lead to class failures (Reid, 2014). By exploring incentive theory of motivation and research demonstrating the connection between expulsion/suspension, interest, and truancy, the hope is to clarify why truancy rates are high and what can be done to counteract it. The problems of negative school environment, disruptive student behavior, family economic status, and mental health challenges (Dronkers, Veerman, & Pong, 2017; Dembo et al., 2014) must all be addressed for truancy programs to be effective.

The scope of problems associated with truancy is large. For the purposes of this study, the specific focus will be on school-based policies and procedures that may mitigate or reduce truancy. Without a proper synthesis of the reasons surrounding the problem, there will be limited understanding of how to approach the study. It is therefore important to define the scope of the problem clearly in order to focus and improve the quality of the research.

Truancy rates in the United States are a growing problem (Monahan, VanDerhei, Bechtold, & Cauffman, 2014). Whether a student is absent due to suspension or because they willingly choose to be absent, the problem has become worthy of research and possible intervention. The problem addressed by this study is: educational leaders may have implemented policies and procedures in public charter schools, but documentation about which are most effective and why remains largely absent.

Current policies have enabled higher truancy rates through their zero-tolerance approach, which mandates harsher and stricter punishment of student behavior. "Since the 1990s, implementation of zero tolerance policies in schools has led to increased use of school suspension and expulsion as disciplinary techniques for students with varying degrees of infractions" (Monahan et al., 2014, p. 1110). When students are suspended or expelled, they may have a harder time catching up in school and succeeding academically, which can lead to further problems as students mature into adults.

Research suggests that the experience of suspension or expulsion could increase the likelihood of illegal behavior. "Being suspended or expelled from school increased the likelihood of arrest in that same month and this effect was stronger among youth who did not have a history of behavior problems and when youth associated with less delinquent peers" (Monahan et al., 2014, p. 1110). Zero-tolerance policies have become a primary driver of growing suspension and expulsion cases, and are considered punitive measures that can compound truancy problems (Schargel, 2014). Although truancy does not directly cause crime, the two are highly correlated (Schargel, 2014), and policies must therefore be reformed by examining what schools with low truancy rates, such as Charter Secondary School, are doing differently.

The purpose of this study is to understand school leaders' perspectives on how policies and procedures reduce truancy and improve student attendance. By interviewing key staff at Charter Secondary School — a public charter school with low truancy levels — information on effective policies and procedures can be gathered. These findings may provide a better understanding of what school leaders at other schools can do to improve truancy rates.

Attendance plays a large part in avoiding suspension and performing well academically (Schargel, 2014). Research on truancy reduction suggests students with more attendance options may be able to overcome difficulties that contribute to truancy (Reid, 2014). Effective school policies that improve attendance may contain processes and options that provide such support and variability. Without understanding these aspects, little help can be generated and implemented for students in need.

Charter Secondary School has better attendance and better academic performance compared to all other schools in the district on average, and the majority of its students are minority or non-white. This school is a strong starting point for investigating effective school policies. Examination of other successful schools should provide a measure of effectiveness needed to understand what strategies can improve attendance and show how schools in different settings — urban, rural, or suburban — address challenges related to student demographics and location.

1. Why does the school have a low truancy rate?

2. What theoretical framework serves as the foundation for policies at the school?

Research Design, Conceptual Framework, and Study Scope

The study is qualitative and focuses on the use of interviews to collect data. "The interview has today become one of the most widespread knowledge-producing practices across the human and social sciences in general and in critical psychology more specifically" (Brinkmann, 2014, p. 1008). Interviews can range from formal to informal and can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or over the internet. Formal interviews follow a structured format in which the researcher asks questions and the participant answers. In informal interviews, there can be open discussion that moves beyond the set questions (Brinkmann, 2014). Most qualitative interviews incorporate some structure and are labeled "semi-structured." "In a semi-structured interview, the researcher provides some structure based on her research interests and interview guide but works flexibly with the guide and allows room for the respondent's more spontaneous descriptions and narratives" (Brinkmann, 2014, p. 1008).

Understanding the perspectives of staff and school leaders at Charter Secondary School — including what improvements have been made and what kind of environment such policies promote — can provide a clear picture of what is being done to achieve positive outcomes for students. Similar studies using interviews have gathered significant amounts of insightful information, allowing researchers to answer important questions (De Witte & Csillag, 2012): "Using fixed effects regressions and controlling for truancy peer group effects, we observe that truancy (measured as both a discrete dummy variable and a continuous count measure) positively correlates to early school leaving. A truant has a 3.4 percentage points higher risk of leaving school without a qualification" (De Witte & Csillag, 2012, p. 549).

The policies surrounding truancy programs and how academic staff respond to them allow for themes discovered through the interview process to be compared to themes found in the literature review, in order to identify whether a universal concept is being applied that leads to successful academic performance and good attendance records.

Truancy is a complex problem, and understanding it requires attention to multiple narratives and potential solutions. Leaders' vision at the selected school, as well as the vision behind successful truancy programs, will shape the scope of what may be valuable for reducing student truancy rates. Within the conceptual framework lie two theoretical frameworks: incentive and motivation theory, and family systems theory.

An important theory explored in this study is the incentive theory of motivation: "people are pulled towards behaviors that offer positive incentives and pushed away from behaviors associated with negative incentives. The incentive theory suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards" (Rehman & Haider, 2013, p. 141). If students are incentivized to attend class through rewards, this may be a crucial element missing in schools with high truancy rates and may explain the downward spiral that occurs when students are severely punished for being absent.

Family systems theory is a systems-level theory that explores a person's life through the context of the family and understands the individual's family as an emotional unit contributing to their emotional wellbeing (Breda, 2014). Introduced by Dr. Murray Bowen, the theory posits that families exist as interdependent, interconnected individuals who cannot be understood in isolation from the family system (Breda, 2014). In the case of truancy, a student performing poorly and becoming absent may be responding to family responsibilities at home — such as taking a job to help support the family or caring for an ill parent. Family systems theory allows for identification of potential connections within the family that could be creating stress for the student and driving truant behavior.

The main assumption guiding this study is that effective truancy policies and procedures are the cornerstone of truancy rate reduction. Other assumptions include the notion that higher truancy rates lead to poorer academic performance. When students fail to attend class voluntarily, they are at greater risk of performing poorly in school due to their inability to keep up with material and their lack of motivation to complete assignments (Rollnick, 2016). Students may also be unwilling to attend school because of mental health problems, an unstable home life, or physical health conditions. Another assumption is that students living in poverty and minority students may face greater school difficulties due to turbulent home lives and the effects of systemic racism. Although this topic will not be covered in depth in this paper, it is important to recognize how lack of resources and minority status can affect truancy rates, and how that recognition could inform the creation of even more effective school policies.

The study is limited to one public charter school to understand how it maintains a lower truancy rate. Another limitation is the number of participants available for in-person interviews. The study is further limited to schools within the United States, and the literature review will only examine how American schools handle truancy and which policies decrease or increase truancy rates. Parental perspectives are excluded from interviews, though parents will provide permission for students to participate. No other significant limitations are noted.

The study is qualitative and uses interviews with school staff to collect data. Interview transcripts will be analyzed to identify underlying themes from respondents at Charter Secondary School. The questions are designed to understand what effective policies are in place that allow for better attendance rates than other schools in the district. Notably, the school also fares better regarding academic scores and has a high graduation rate. If location plays a part — since the school is situated in a suburban area — this should be explored through interview questions to gain a better understanding of all aspects of effective policy.

The literature review provides a foundation; the interviews provide the data. Alongside the qualitative interviews, the literature review will serve as a comparative guide, informing some of the interview questions and providing a benchmark against which to compare the gathered data. If other successful schools have similar policies in place, this could serve as a potential standard applicable nationally to reduce truancy across the country. The literature review will also provide examples of policies in schools with high truancy rates to illustrate what should be avoided. Results will be discussed within the context of modifications that could further improve attendance rates and academic success.

Although the qualitative study is small — including only six students and four staff members from the school — it may provide the kind of insight that cannot be gathered elsewhere. National truancy rate databases may also be used as a comparative tool.

The study can be an important step in learning what works for schools aimed at reducing truancy and what does not. Findings may lead to standardization of effective programs and policies. Public schools across the United States need to know that they have access to information that can improve their students' academic progress and attendance. However, they first need to see evidence that certain policy implementations work and are worth the time, money, and effort. Like evidence-based practice in nursing, staff need evidence of policies that have already been implemented and have led to student success and improved attendance rates.

While statistics from a successful school are valuable, it is even more meaningful for other schools to see the specific steps it took to reach that level of success. That information can then be compared across schools to identify the core principles and actions that have achieved positive results. Growth and positive outcomes can only come from tested and approved practices, and the conceptual framework will serve as a guide to assess whether assumptions and hypotheses can be proven or disproven through comparison and analysis.

Researchers need to continue pursuing information and analysis to offer potential guidelines for schools that need them. The growing problem of truancy in the United States requires a thoughtful and evidence-based assessment of ongoing issues. These issues will remain prevalent unless action is taken, and action cannot be taken without sound research and evidence behind it.

Finally, studies such as this one offer an anchor point from which to investigate other aspects of school life, school environment, and student behavioral problems. If students have problems related to struggles with sexuality, gender identity, or other personal factors, these could also be investigated in future studies, potentially leading to policy changes that continue to advance a safe and positive school environment.

Truancy: When a student stays away from school without a sufficient reason; also labeled absenteeism. Days suspended may be included in truancy rates.

Charter School: In the United States, a publicly funded independent school established by community groups, parents, or teachers under the terms of a charter with a national or local authority.

Expulsion: The permanent withdrawal or exclusion of a student from a school system or institution due to consistent violations of rules. It can also result from a single offense of sufficient severity.

Suspension: An obligatory leave given to a student as a method of penalty that can last anywhere from a single day to several weeks, during which a student cannot attend school (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2013).

Truancy rates are a growing problem in United States schools. Charter Secondary School is one school that has aimed to reduce truancy rates and has done so according to recent statistics. By exploring Charter Secondary School's policies and other school policies in Florida that increase or decrease truancy rates, this study hopes to understand what may cause truancy and what reduces it. The next section is a literature review that will focus on important policies already in place in other schools, how these policies may be similar or different to those at Charter Secondary School, and the negative effects of high truancy rates and their causes.

Some schools take punitive measures toward truancy, others take non-punitive approaches, and still others take a mixture of both. The aim is to understand why such measures are adopted and why students become truant. Several factors may be at play — from school environment to mental health — and the literature review will bring more of these aspects into context.

Literature Review: School-Based Truancy Programs

Student truancy has become a major issue that schools are trying to tackle (Rollnick, 2016). To improve truancy rates, there is a need to research and cultivate worthwhile strategies that reduce the negative behaviors leading to truancy. However, it is also necessary to understand why students are truant in the first place. Poverty and a negative school environment are issues that raise concern about the likelihood of truancy (Reid, 2014). Those who support punitive discipline believe that adherence to rules leads to positive outcomes (Rollnick, 2016), while those who favor non-punitive discipline argue that giving students options can produce better results — not just in truancy rates, but in the personal growth of the student (Rollnick, 2016). With so many strategies and methods available, it can be difficult for school leaders to determine what mixture of punitive and non-punitive discipline will be most effective.

One way schools have helped decrease truancy rates is through truancy reporting, which allows students to be assessed for high-risk status (De Witte & Csillag, 2012). Because truancy can have a profoundly negative long-term effect on students, schools have become more stringent about truancy reporting. "A truant has a 3.4 percentage points higher risk of leaving school without a qualification" (De Witte & Csillag, 2012, p. 549).

Truancy reporting provides a means of identifying potential problems early. "The idea is straightforward: if students are better monitored with respect to truancy, schools can identify more easily students at risk. The results indicate that improved truancy reporting significantly reduces school dropout by 5 percentage points" (De Witte & Csillag, 2012, p. 549). Schools like the one used for this study already have a robust truancy reporting protocol in place. The rules within this protocol specify that students cannot be absent more than a few days before the school contacts the student's household (De Witte & Csillag, 2012).

More research should be dedicated to how preventative measures can be expanded to include other indicators of at-risk behavior, such as lateness for class and missed homework assignments (Reid, 2017). If this can be achieved, it may allow for greater assessment of potential truancy problems before they escalate. Applying research to practice — already popular in healthcare — may also become increasingly common in education as more information emerges on topics like student truancy (Reid, 2017).

Punitive measures for truancy can be seen through the introduction of third-party policing in schools. "Third-party policing is an approach to crime prevention and control involving the police partnering with organizations or individuals to prevent or reduce crime problems" (Nitschke, Mazerolle, & Bennett, 2014, p. 5211). This approach relies on legal levers that hold third parties partially accountable for controlling crime and creates an environment in which problem students can be identified (Nitschke et al., 2014). While this may help schools deal with growing delinquency, it may also make it easier for students to enter the criminal justice system at an early age.

Punitive measures can also be costlier in the long run (Nitschke et al., 2014). Expulsion or suspension can further increase the likelihood of truancy and poor academic performance (Shelton, 2014). Although short-term results may indicate a reduction in truancy, the long-term effects may be more negative and lasting (Shelton, 2014). Shelton noted that students who face punitive measures may have a higher chance of committing crimes compared to those who experienced non-punitive responses. While police intervention may increase parental awareness, it also raises the risk of truant students entering the juvenile criminal justice system (Mazerolle, Bennett, Antrobus, & Eggins, 2017). A mixture of both punitive and non-punitive measures may be most beneficial in addressing truancy.

Research shows that non-punitive measures are useful and offer students a chance to improve while removing some of the stigma attached to past mistakes (Reid, 2017). Successful protocols integrate flexibility into standard methods to help the school, family, and student. Such programs understand individual students' needs and do whatever is necessary to assist the families and students involved (Mallett, 2015).

One study in Australia aimed to understand truancy and generate programs that would allow for effective reduction of truancy rates among students (Taylor, Gray, & Stanton, 2016). This demonstrates that, with proper research, non-punitive options are feasible. However, they must be implemented in conjunction with significant research that allows for a better understanding of the needs of truant students (Mallett, 2015). Haight, Chapman, Hendron, Loftis, & Kearney (2014) demonstrated that a non-punitive truancy program may not work if a key component is missing: specifically, if there is no skill-building element such as tutoring, the likelihood of reducing truancy declines.