Anti-truancy effort is battle without endCharleston County schools work to keep kids in class By Diette Courrégé (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Attendance ratesCharleston County schools' average daily attendance rate as of April 23 was 95.7 percent for its 41,483 students. The state requirement is 94 percent. Of the 15 elementary schools in the Ashley River Learning Community (Johns Island, West Ashley and Hollywood), all met or exceeded the state attendance requirement. Of the 11 elementary schools in the Cooper River Learning Community (James Island and North Charleston), all met or exceeded the state attendance requirement. Of the 18 schools in the East Cooper Learning Community (Mount Pleasant and McClellanville), all met or exceeded the state attendance requirement. Of the 15 schools in the Middle School Learning Community (across the county), 11 met or exceeded the state attendance requirement. Of the 12 schools in the High School Learning Community (across the county), 7 met or exceeded the state attendance requirement. Charleston County school leaders repeatedly begged parents at the beginning of the school year to send their kids to school. Nine percent of the district's students were absent on the first day, and officials responded by holding press conferences, working with police and knocking on students' doors. Nine months later, school officials continue their struggle with getting students to class. It's a different problem than what they faced in the fall in that hordes of students aren't absent and officials know who should be in their classes. Still, truancy is a serious issue that school leaders wrestle with daily. "It's very difficult," said Kala Goodwine, principal of Morningside Middle School in North Charleston. "This has been a battle that we're trying to win. We want our kids here because that's the only way they can learn." Charleston's problem with dramatic absences at the beginning of the year is consistent with a national trend, and school districts nationwide struggle with truancy throughout the year. Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley had no idea the absentee problem at the beginning of the year was as serious as it was until a week before school started. This year, she has planned a more intense and extensive campaign to ensure that kids come to school on the first day. "We're going to try and be much more proactive," she said. Students will be sent home with refrigerator magnets reminding them of the first day of school, public service announcements on radio stations will air this summer, and every family will be called in the weeks prior to school starting with a message about the first day, she said. Officials are investigating the cost of billboards, and they would like to have at least one to help publicize the first day of school, Aug. 19, she said. McGinley also will meet with police officials this month to discuss what they can do together to ensure children are in school, such as approaching children on the streets during school hours and asking them why they aren't in school. This past school year, police leaders pledged to be on the lookout for students on the streets at the beginning of the year, and school leaders indicated that in some places, those efforts have continued. At Morningside, Goodwine had a list at the beginning of the year of students who were supposed to be in school but hadn't come. She and other staff members called and visited students' homes to find out why they were absent. She said most of those issues were resolved by the 10th day of school, and officials then focused their efforts on truancy and individual students who consistently missed school. The school has a full-time truancy interventionist who calls parents of absent students' daily, and after three consecutive or five total unexcused absences, meets with parents to find solutions to students missing school. Morningside also has put incentives in place to encourage students to attend school, such as a free dress day, when they don't have to wear uniforms, for the grade with the best attendance. The school's attendance rate has improved, up two percentage points to 92 percent this year. Goodwine thought the awareness raised at the beginning of the year helped schools. She remembered one situation in which a neighbor gave information on the family she was trying to find. She questioned whether that would have happened had the district not made the community aware of its plight. "All those efforts make a big difference," she said. Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@ postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 9 comment(s)
Posted by NativeSon on June 5, 2008 at 6:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A simpler solution: It class. So, at enrollment, parents sign a contract accepting liability for those costs when their child is truant.
A few three or four hundred dollar assessments and I guarantee the parents will not only make certain their child is in school, they will hog tie their child to the desk to make sure they remain in school all day.
Posted by kingchris on June 5, 2008 at 7:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The students can neither learn nor "pay" their portion of state/federal funding when they are absent.
Educational Neglect and has been on the books for years. Schools, DSS, and juvenile courts are backed up in the attempt to promote parents/caregivers to do what is right for their children.
Still no answer!
Posted by Early on June 5, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's hard because the parents of these kids rarely have higher than a fourth grade education so they don't see the benefit of education nor, can they help them with their homework. If the parents have no interest, the kids surly wont either.
Posted by Tammie on June 5, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When I was in school eons ago, we had a truancy officer that did NOT play with us! Parents have to be more involved with the children.
Posted by ptmama73 on June 5, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Parents have to get involved and stay involved - PERIOD.
Unfortunately, many parents think small and do not have the desire to see their children do better in life which can only be achieved through education.
Posted by Charles_Town on June 5, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just out of curiosity I wonder if any of the private school systems in the area had any attendance problems?
Posted by WAres on June 5, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What happened to personal responsibility, people? Why waste the funds necessary to call every parent to get kids to school. Spend that money more wisely on the familis who care enough to show up for school. If you want an education, get it. If you don't, don't expect the Government to help feed you and your family because you can't do better than minimum wage.
Hey Uncle Sam, stay out of my business!!! If I am walking with my kids after the day PUBLIC school begins, don't make stupid assumptions, PUBLIC school is not the only game in town!!!
Wake up, America!ns!! Take responsiblity for yourself!!!
Posted by lcollins on June 5, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
“No child falls through the cracks. They are dropped through or shoved through by lazy, emotionally immature adults and unethical professionals”
But you may ask what this statement has to do with the issue of truancy? Simple, truant children – who are routinely late or absent – come from dysfunctional homes. Those homes in my experience are lead by caregivers who are more concerned about their own pleasures and convenience than the welfare of their children. Some may say that this is an unkind assessment. My response to them is simple, visit these homes and you will see that this is not an aberration.
While some caregivers have a difficult time because of poverty, work schedules or transitioning to a single parent household; the majority simply refuse to exercise self control or basic order in their homes.
And this assessment is supported by various national studies. Research from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education have found that child neglect and family disorganization are major factors in truancy. The OJJDP also found that “Truancy has been clearly identified as one of the early warning signs of students headed for potential delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure via suspension, expulsion, or dropping out.”
Dr Gerald Patterson sums up the issue this way, “Parenting plays a critical role in the development process of children. Early discipline failures are a primary casual factor in the development of conduct problems. Harsh discipline, low supervision, lack of parental involvement all add to the development of aggressive children”
Bullying, sexual harassment, negative behavior cliques and aggression towards staff are all done by children who come from dysfunctional homes. But beyond the home environment, schools have a big stake in controlling truancy. Not only is it a major part of NCLB compliance but it affects all school safety issues. Truancy happens in rural, suburban and urban schools and all classes of families. School must take control of their truancy problems or they are bound to be overtaken by it.
www.SERAPH.net
Posted by beth1070 on June 5, 2008 at 9:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My children are not in the public school system, but I still have to pay taxes to support schools that I do not utilize and never will. It burns my rear end to pay taxes to pay for the education of other people's children and they aren't even making their children go to school. And then when the children get into trouble with the law, my tax dollars have to pick up the bill again.