Louisiana Parish Focused on Truancy

Caddo Parish, like many areas, is under budgetary pressure. As such, it is struggling to come up with the funds to support its otherwise successful anti-truancy efforts.

It seems clear to these folks, that you can pay now or pay later. Invest in truancy and dropout prevention with small dollars today or pay big dollars later through the criminal justice and social services departments.

As an article in the Shreveport Times observes:

Researchers from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Clemson and the University of Chicago, have researched this issue for decades. They have universally identified three early warning factors — school absences, behavior referrals, and academic failure — that highlights when a student is at greatest risk to drop out of school. Of those three, school absences are the easiest to identify and address. Simply put, by 9th grade missing 20 percent of the school year is a better predictor of dropping out than test scores.

Alabama Drop Out Epidemic

The state's number one problem is truancy and the droupout epidemic.

A good video tells the story here.

And the reporter has a fantastic voice!

Journey To Excellence Starts with Graduation

The Janesville, Wisconsin school district is concerned that their graduate rates under perform other Wisconsin districts. To their credit, they realize that their "Journey to Excellence" will not be fulfilled if they do not combat truancy and the dropout epidemic. The district names change, but every day we read the exact same story. Communities realize that they must increase their graduation rates or fail trying. Truancy, of course, is the first step on the road to dropping out . . . tackle truancy and the "Journey to Excellence" becomes a highway.