Combating Truancy

Knox County Truancy Initiative and the

Knoxville Police Department

Tammie D Gentry

Safe Policy BoardSafe Policy Board

Create policy to help and protect childrenDevelop intervention and prevention

programs to reach out to children at early ages

Create partnerships with government and local social service agencies

Create Truancy Initiative and other programs for youth and families

Problems For KnoxvilleProblems For Knoxville

56,000 Students in Knox County School System

5,000 are truant everydayDaytime juvenile crime increases:

vandalism, burglary, and auto theftTruants have a high rate of committing

crime or becoming victim of crimeIncrease in juvenile gang and drug

involvement

Truancy Truancy

Truancy is any day missed from school without permission or documentation.

Documentation is to verify that it was a legitimate absence. Without it, the day becomes an unexcused absence.

Knox Co. allows 5 days for documents to be brought in.

Truancy is a Gateway CrimeTruancy is a Gateway CrimeUsually a predictor of more delinquent

behavior (OJJDP, 2)

Preventing truancy should be a two phase operation. On one hand, the initiative should protect children to prevent victimization. On the other hand, the initiative should prevent children from committing crimes when they should be in school.

Criminal EvolutionCriminal Evolution

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

<10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

At Risk

High Risk

Chronic

Serious

Violent

J. J. S. C. J. S.

Youthful

Offender

Career Criminal

$$$$ $$$$$

NEGLECT

ABUSE

RUNAWAY

VIOLENT

SERIOUS

CHRONIC

86%

PROMISCUITY

PREGNANCY

PROSTITUTION

DRUGSS.T.D.V.D.H.I.V.

DRUGBABYS

LOW BIRTH WT.

F.I.REPORTS

SUICIDE ATTEMP

Issues Correlating to TruancyIssues Correlating to Truancy

Family Factors: These include lack of guidance or parental supervision, domestic violence, poverty, drug or alcohol abuse in the home, lack of awareness or attendance laws, and differing attitudes toward education.(OJJDP,2)

Correlations Cont’dCorrelations Cont’d

School Factors: school size attitudes of teachers inflexibility in meeting the diverse cultural

and learning styles of the studentsInconsistent procedures in dealing with

truants (OJJDP, 2)

Correlations Cont’dCorrelations Cont’d

Economic Influences: employed students, single-parent homes, high mobility rates, parents who hold multiple jobs, and a lack of affordable transportation and childcare.(OJJDP, 2)

Student Variables: drug and alcohol abuse, lack of understanding of attendance laws, lack of social competence, mental health difficulties, and poor physical health. (OJJDP, 2)

Economic ImpactEconomic Impact

Less Educated WorkforceBusiness Loss because of youths hanging

out on store front or shopliftingHigher daytime crimeCost of social services for familiesCan cost community $2.2 million to care

for one high school drop out who becomes involved in crime and drug abuse(OJJDP, 3 and Morgan, iii)

Role PlayRole Play

SchoolJuvenile CourtTruancy CenterSchool Court LiaisonThe District Attorney’s OfficeKnoxville Police DepartmentCommunity Agencies

The School’s RoleThe School’s Role

Accurate Attendance Records

Informing Truancy Center and Social Worker of chronic truants

Exhausts all resources and documents such work

Juvenile Court’s RoleJuvenile Court’s Role

Make referrals through court system

Final destination of the truancy process when all community resources have been exhausted

Judge court orders use of resources, place in detention, or place on probation or in state custody

Truancy Center’s RoleTruancy Center’s Role Prevention and intervention services Contact parent, school, social worker, probation

officer or social service agency, when students brought in

Monitor student’s attendance and do follow-up for next three months

Do assessments and counseling of student and family to determine cause of truancy

Make necessary referrals based on assessments Build a case by documentation and referral of

services to help school personnel and District Attorney in case student goes to court

School Court Liaison’s RoleSchool Court Liaison’s Role

Pre-court hearings and referral of services

Pull attendance records and verify data

Presents the District Attorney with students to be considered for prosecution

The District Attorney’s RoleThe District Attorney’s Role

Prosecute families guilty of truancy

Offer more services before punitive consequences

Conduct the Parental Responsibility Meeting and the Truancy Review Board.

Law Enforcement’s RoleLaw Enforcement’s Role

Trained in truancy initiativeMaking it part of the standard operating

procedures Pick up students while on patrol or when

dispatched to home when student is refusing to attend school and transport to truancy center

Parental Responsibility MeetingParental Responsibility Meeting

Conducted by District AttorneyInvites families of 10 or more unexcused

absencesPartner social service agencies set up

booths to offer services to familiesParents given opportunities to speak with

school social workers and ask for help or explain absences

Truancy Review BoardTruancy Review Board

Conducted by District Attorney’s OfficeMembers include law enforcement, social

service agencies, and experts in medical and mental illness fields

Meets with chronic truant families Search for scope of causes of truancyOffer services and counselingLast step before filing charges against

parent/child

Community AgenciesCommunity Agencies

Provide assistance where court and law enforcement are limited

Provide MentoringProvide CounselingProvide Family AssistanceProvide Financial AssistancePlay role in court proceedings

Agency PartnershipsAgency Partnerships

DCS- Department of Children ServicesDA- District AttorneyJuvenile CourtBoys and Girls Club of East TennesseeKnox County School SystemKCDC-Local Housing ProjectsCompassion CoalitionChild and Family Tennessee

Building Necessary PartnershipsBuilding Necessary Partnerships

It is absolutely necessary that partnerships are formed to make the truancy initiative successful.

Possible Partners Department of Children’s Services Juvenile Court School System (Knox Co. Schools)

District Attorney Office Boys and Girls Club Law Enforcement (Knox. Police Dept.)

Local Housing Project Association (KCDC) Local Youth Organizations

Local Social Service Agencies

What Partnerships ProvideWhat Partnerships Provide

Provide a steady contact for referral and services

Provides ongoing information regarding the student

Provides quick access to those working with student (i.e. probation officers, case managers)

All partners meet and staff on students monthly to assess the student further

Makes everyone aware of the situation

Results of InitiativeResults of Initiative

30% decrease in daytime juvenile crimeAttendance rate for Knoxville is at

96% :above the state average of 93%Helping schools not fail under No Child

Left Behind Law for attendance reasonsLocates families who are in need of

services that otherwise may not get helpLocates neglected children

ReferencesReferences

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Juvenile Justice Bulletin,

September 2001.Morgan, John G., Comptroller of the

Treasury. Office of Educational Accountability for the State of Tennessee, January 2004.