Free Essays on Truancy In Schools

Truancy in Schools â€Å"Everyday, hundreds of thousands of students are absent from school without a legitimate excuse.† (Baker, 2000) Every year, cities, states, and school districts across the country announce new initiatives designed to entice, counsel, threaten, or coerce kids to attend school but poor attendance still remains a problem. Good attendance involves not only the student, but also teachers, family, and the community. According to the U.S. Department of Education, truancy is the first sign of trouble in a young person’s life. â€Å"It is also the first indicator that a student is giving up or losing their way.† (U.S.) Student nonattendance is a problem that extends much further then the school. It affects the student, family, and community. â€Å"Police departments across the nation report that many students who are not in school during regular hours are committing crimes including shoplifting, vandalism, and graffiti.† (Baker) Absenteeism is detrimental to students' achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem, and employment potential. Clearly, students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. In the four years that I was at Carmel High School, the attendance policies were revised in attempt to reduce student truancy. When I was a freshman, the only consequence to truancy was a detention or an in-school suspension. Now Carmel has a low tolerance for truancy. On a student’s first truancy, an in-school suspension is assigned and parents are notified. On a student’s second truancy, two days of in-school suspension are assigned and the parents are notified again. On a student’s third truancy, two days of out of school suspension are assigned and the parent’s are notified. A student’s 4th truancy is assigned to out of school suspension for a week and a referral to the Carmel court. When I was a sophomore, Carmel High School implemented a program called â€Å"Skip a Final.† At the end of... Free Essays on Truancy In Schools Free Essays on Truancy In Schools Truancy in Schools â€Å"Everyday, hundreds of thousands of students are absent from school without a legitimate excuse.† (Baker, 2000) Every year, cities, states, and school districts across the country announce new initiatives designed to entice, counsel, threaten, or coerce kids to attend school but poor attendance still remains a problem. Good attendance involves not only the student, but also teachers, family, and the community. According to the U.S. Department of Education, truancy is the first sign of trouble in a young person’s life. â€Å"It is also the first indicator that a student is giving up or losing their way.† (U.S.) Student nonattendance is a problem that extends much further then the school. It affects the student, family, and community. â€Å"Police departments across the nation report that many students who are not in school during regular hours are committing crimes including shoplifting, vandalism, and graffiti.† (Baker) Absenteeism is detrimental to students' achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem, and employment potential. Clearly, students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. In the four years that I was at Carmel High School, the attendance policies were revised in attempt to reduce student truancy. When I was a freshman, the only consequence to truancy was a detention or an in-school suspension. Now Carmel has a low tolerance for truancy. On a student’s first truancy, an in-school suspension is assigned and parents are notified. On a student’s second truancy, two days of in-school suspension are assigned and the parents are notified again. On a student’s third truancy, two days of out of school suspension are assigned and the parent’s are notified. A student’s 4th truancy is assigned to out of school suspension for a week and a referral to the Carmel court. When I was a sophomore, Carmel High School implemented a program called â€Å"Skip a Final.† At the end of...