This study examines chronological patterns of attendance and academic performance of urban students who are identified as truants in Grade 8. A chronological review of 42 student records, from school entry through Grade 8, identified high frequencies of absenteeism and academic performance issues beginning at school entry and, in many cases, persisting throughout elementary and middle school years. Results suggest that ongoing analysis of attendance data within a school system could help to identify early patterns of absenteeism that lead to truancy in upper elementary and middle school grades. Additionally, the study indicates a need for socioemotional support, as well as early and appropriate referral and evaluation for children who are struggling in school, and it calls into question the practice of retention and social promotion as a response to absenteeism and poor school performance among elementary school children.
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3.
Anderson, G.E., Jimerson, S.R., & Whipple, A.D. ( 2005). Students’ ratings of stressful experiences at home and school: Loss of a parent and grade retention as superlative stressors . Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 1-20.
4.
Baker, M.L., Sigmon, J.N., & Nugent, M.E. ( 2001). Truancy reduction: Keeping kids in school. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Retrieved January 12, 2007 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbu12001_9_1/contents.html
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6.
Barnett, D.W., Daley, E.J., Jones, K.M., & Lentz, F.E. ( 2004). Response to intervention: Empirically based special service decisions from single-case designs of increasing and decreasing intensity . Journal of Special Education, 38(2), 66-79.
7.
Beebe-Frankenberger, M., Bocian, K.M., MacMillan, D.L., & Gresham, F.M. ( 2004). Sorting second-grade students: Differentiating those retained from those promoted. Journal of Educational Psychology , 96, 204-215.
8.
Bottoms, G. ( 2002). Improving schools are trying new approaches to raise achievement for struggling students. In Opening doors to the future: Preparing low-achieving middle school students to succeed in high school. Atlanta, GA: Southern Regional Education Board. Retrieved January 20, 2007, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/28/0c/98.pdf
9.
Connecticut State Department of Education. ( 2006). State school profiles (Report No. 2005-06). Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0506/jr048.pdf
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Corville-Smith, J., & Ryan, B. ( 1998). Distinguishing absentee students from regular attenders: The combined influence of personal, family, and school factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 27(5), 629-640.
11.
Epstein, J.L., & Sheldon, S.B. ( 2002). Presented and accounted for: Improving student attendance through family and community involvement. Journal of Educational Research, 95, 308-318.
12.
Gaffney, J.S., & Zaimi, E. ( 2003, November). Grade retention and special education: A call for a transparent system of accountability. Paper presented at the conference of the Teacher Education Division, Biloxi, MS. Retrieved February 2, 2007 from http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/gaffneyj/RetentionSpecialEd.pdf
13.
Gonzales, R., Richards, K., & Seeley, K. ( 2002). Youth out of school: Linking absence to delinquency. Retrieved December 12, 2007, Registry/Admin?Resources/Resources/26.pdf
14.
Gutman, L.M., Sameroff, A.J., & Cole, R. ( 2003). Academic growth curve trajectories from 1st grade to 12th grade: Effects of multiple social risk factors and preschool child factors . Developmental Psychology, 39(4), 777-790.
15.
Hamre, B.K., & Pianta, R.C. ( 2005). Can instructional and emotional support in the first-grade classroom make a difference for children at risk of school failure? Child Development, 76(5), 949-967.
16.
Harris-Murri, N., King, K., & Rostenberg, D. (2006). Reducing disproportionate minority representation in special education programs for students with emotional disturbances: Toward a culturally responsive response to intervention model . Education & Treatment of Children, 29(4), 779-799.
17.
Huizinga, D., Loeber, R., Thornberry, T.P., & Cothern, L. ( 2000). Co-occurrence of delinquency and other problem behaviors (Report No. NCJ 182211). Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Retrieved January 6, 2007 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/182211.pdf
18.
Jerald, C.G. ( 2006, June 1). Dropping out is hard to do [Issue brief]. Chicago: Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. Retrieved January 15, 2007, from http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/news_citations/060106_learningpoint.htm
19.
Jimerson, S.R. ( 2001). Meta-analysis of grade retention research: Implications for practice in the 21st century. School Psychology Review , 30(3), 420-438.
20.
Jimerson, S.R., & Kaufman, A.M. ( 2003). Reading, writing, and retention: A primer on grade retention research. The Reading Teacher, 56(7), 622-636.
21.
Klingner, J.K., & Artiles, A.J. ( 2003). When should bilingual students be in special education ? Educational Leadership, 61(2), 66-71.
22.
McLeskey, J., & Grizzle, K.L. ( 1992). Grade retention rates among students with learning disabilities . Exceptional Children, 58, 548-554.
Mitchell, D.K., Adams, S.K., & Murdock, K.K. ( 2005). Associations among risk factors, individual resources, and indices of school-related asthma morbidity in urban, school-aged children: A pilot study. Journal of School Health, 75(10), 375-383.
25.
National Center for School Engagement. (2005 ). The legal and economic implications of truancy. Denver, CO: Colorado Foundation for Families and Children . Retrieved January 15, 2007, from http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources/72.pdf
26.
National Center for Special Education Research. ( 2003). Changes in the individual characteristics of youth with disabilities. In National Longitudinal Transition Study2 (pp. 2.1-2.16). Retrieved January 13, 2007, from http://www.nlts2.org/reports/2003_04-1/nlts2_report_2003_04-1_ch2.pdf
27.
Newman, L., Davies, E., & Marder, C. ( 2003). School engagement of youth with disabilities. In National Center for Special Education ResearchNational Longitudinal Transition Study 2: Achievements of youth with disabilities in secondary school (pp. 3.1-3.14). Retrieved January 13, 2007 from http://www.nlts2.org/reports/2003_11/nlts2_report_2003_11_complete.pdf
28.
Picklo, D.M., & Christenson, S.L. (2005). Alternatives to retention and social promotion: The availability of instructional options. Remedial and Special Education, 26, 258-268.
29.
Southwell, N. ( 2006). Truants on truancy-A badness or a valuable indicator of unmet special educational needs? British Journal of Special Education, 33(2), 91-97.
30.
Teaseley, M.L. ( 2004). Absenteeism and truancy: Risk, protection and best practice implications for school social workers. Children & Schools , 26(2), 117-128.
31.
Walls, C. ( 2003). New approaches to truancy prevention in urban schools . (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED480916) Retrieved January 14, 2007, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/2a/3a/5e.pdf
32.
Zins, J.E., Bloodworth, M.R., Weissberg, R.P., & Walberg, H.J. ( 2007). The scientific base linking social emotional learning to school success. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 17(2/3), 191-210.
