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Kern County Truancy Reduction Program

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Working to improve school atttendance, increase academic performance, and strengthen families.

Referral Steps Program Highlights People are talking about TRP 1995-96 Summary of Findings		Overview The Truancy Reduction Program is successful because it focuses on early intervention and stresses collaboration beteen schools and juvenile probation officers. Home visits with youths and their families and pooled resources foster mutual cooperation, producing significant results. Since the program began, chronic school absences and tardiness have decreased at participating schools. The program, created in 1989, is sponsored by the Kern County Probation Department and the Kern County Substance Abuse Prevention Education Consortium, composed of 39 districts representing 119 K-12 schools. It is funded through the Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. Components include assessment, home visits, weekly school contacts, counseling with the student and family, referrals to community resources, mentoring and evaluation. Students referred to the program are usually monitored for an entire academic year. The goal, however, is to stop truant behavior within four months. The program targets students in kindergarten through 10th grade who have at least four unexcused absences and/or incidents of arriving late to class by 30 minutes or more. Evaluation data help schools, agencies and community partners choose the most appropriate strategies for preventing truancy. The program works to increase attendance and academic performance, and to strengthen families. Since 1989, more than 6,000 students have been helped to stay in school. Attendance data show the program works. After three months in the program, participants' unexcused absences dropped 43 percent in the 1995-96 academic year.

 School and Community Partnerships