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Madison County --
Madison County’s SASS (Students Achieving School
Success) program is another example of how effective
truancy courts can be in reducing truancy rates.
Robyn Johnson, Director of the FACTS Youth Service
Center (Youth Service Center), and District Judge
Jeannie Logue learned about the program while
attending the Center for School Safety’s Truancy
Symposium in 2001. Generally, truancy courts are
informal hearings that occur in a school setting
prior to the filing of formal charges and thus are
intended to divert truancy or educational neglect
cases from district and family courts. The purpose
of the program is to assist students and families in
identifying problems associated with school
attendance and then work as a team to find methods
for solving the problems.
The Madison County program, a collaborative effort
between the Board of Education, Family Court, and
Youth Service Center, operates in two of the Robyn
Johnson and Judge Walson at Madison County Truancy
Courtschool district’s middle schools. Students who
have more than 9 unexcused absences are referred to
the program. The Judge and school officials modify
the program to meet the needs of the individual
school and the following narrative describes
procedures followed at the Foley Middle School.
Staff of the YSC meet with students and parents and
inform them that if they successfully complete the
program, they can avoid having formal charges filed
with the courts. Students and their parents are
required to attend eight sessions which are held at
the school every two weeks.
Prior to the initial session, the YSC Director
visits the home to explain the program and complete
a social history. In addition, students are
interviewed at school about their family and daily
habits and routines. The background information is
used to identify problems during the initial truancy
court session attended by the parents, student, the
judge, YSC Director and principal or vice-principal.
The information also helps the YSC staff determine
services the family and student may need so that
appropriate referrals or actions can be initiated.
Staff has found that including the principal in the
initial meeting helps to open up the lines of
communications between the parents and school.
During the truancy court sessions, the judge focuses
not only on the student’s attendance record but
academic performance and school behavior as well.
Teachers of students in the program complete a form
every two weeks that provides the court with
feedback as to the progress the youth is making.
During the court session, the judge and staff talk
with the student and parents about information in
the reports and issues at home.
The judges prefer the school setting rather than the
formal courtroom as they are able to spend more time
on each case and get to know the students better. In
Madison County, the judge does not wear a robe, and
generally the process is less intrusive and
adversarial than a formal hearing. After each
session, students who show improvement are rewarded
with a small prize such as candy, toys, or movie
passes which are donated by local businesses. If
improvement is not indicated, the student may be
required to attend an after school program for a
specified period of time.
At the end of the semester, students whose
attendance have improved graduate from the program.
At graduation, students receive a larger incentive
such as a field trip to a ballgame or bowling alley.
Those who continue to have unexcused absences will
repeat the program during the following semester or
a petition will be filed, a decision the judge makes
based on the individual circumstances of the case.
The program includes an aftercare phase in which
staff monitor the youth’s attendance for one
semester following exit from the program. In
addition, parents and students are required to
attend the first truancy court session of the
semester following completion of the program in
order for the judge and staff to reinforce the
importance of continuing to attend school regularly.
Evaluations completed by parents indicate that the
program has improved their child’s school
attendance, behavior at home and at school, and
academic performance. Data maintained by staff on
the 38 students who have completed the program at
Foley Middle School show sharp declines in absences.
Truancy petitions have only been filed on two
students in the program. |
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