Truancy

TRUANCY INTERVENTIONS

Truancy is a contentious school policy issue. Interventions for truancy, an issue sometimes derived from poverty and lack of basic needs, have been criticized for their punitive nature and redirected toward more equitable solutions for student support. Dembo & Gulledge (2009) provide an analysis of innovations and challenges in truancy intervention programming. They found that holistic programs (including students’ families and community resources) were the most effective for gaining long-term behavioral outcomes in students’ attendance and school performance.