Program increases school attendance, criminologists conclude
The St. Louis Truancy Initiative improves attendance rates within the
St. Louis Public Schools, according to a new study by G. David Curry and
Scott Decker, professors of criminology and criminal justice at the
University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Through the initiative, truancy courts are convened at least once
monthly at each school in the district. School attendance increased for
67 percent of the students who have received the services of the court,
the study indicates.
“Based on our assessment, this program is successful and should be
continued,” Curry said.
Here’s how the truancy program works: A student with poor attendance is
identified for participation in the program. The student is then
assigned a deputy juvenile officer who makes a home visit to meet with
the child and his or her family. Based on this initial assessment, the
juvenile is referred to services available through or contracted by the
St. Louis Family Court.
For example, one of the family court’s offerings is the Mentoring,
Instruction, Nutrition and Esteem program. The goal of MINE is to
enhance youths’ social skills. The program involves eight or nine
one-hour sessions, and many youths participate more than once.
Other programs implemented by the family court include victim-offender
mediation, gun court, electronic monitoring and neighborhood-based
citizen advisory committees.
Curry and Decker’s study examined the St. Louis Truancy Initiative for
the academic years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04.
During this period, the initiative was made available to 2,271 students,
of which 1,471 students received the services of the truancy courts. The
number of extra days of student attendance resulting from the truancy
court program over the three school terms examined was 19,457.
Sgt. Stan Charles Williams, area supervisor for the school safety and
security with the St. Louis Public Schools, said the district employs a
truancy unit that combs the community on a daily basis, looking for
truant students. The unit refers the students to the truancy courts.
The truancy initiative is most effective when parents are involved,
Williams said.
“When we get parental involvement, there is more accountability,” he
said. “When the parents don’t show up for hearings, truancy behavior
often continues.”
The St. Louis Truancy Initiative started in December 2000. It’s a
partnership between the St. Louis Public Schools and 22nd Judicial
Circuit of Missouri Family Court. Officials with the St. Louis Family
Court said they believe the program will ultimately lead to decreased
dropout rates.