A comprehensive Approach to Improving Student Attendance in Los Angeles County a report from the School Attendance Task Force

Task Force Findings Related to Emerg­ing, Effective Research-Based Alternatives

Research Summary

The Task Force reviewed published research measuring the effectiveness of various programs around the country aimed at addressing truancy or improving school attendance. The review, which included dozens of published studies, focused on those that evaluated data on outcomes associated with different programs. The findings from this review support several interventions in four categories, briefly summarized below.¹⁷

Despite the importance of student attendance and the number of initiatives that schools and other agen­cies have launched to address truancy or to improve student attendance over the years, how­ever, surprisingly little research evaluates programs based on outcome data—in other words, compar­ing attendance rates prior to the initiation of the program or evaluating the attendance data of students enrolled in a program compared to a control group. Thus, certain approaches may be considered best practices despite the absence of any research demonstrating their actual effectiveness.

On the other hand, the absence of research confirming an intervention’s effectiveness does not mean that the program is not, in fact, effective. In crafting its recommendations, the Task Force incorporated all elements that are strongly supported by research and included others that are consid­ered best practices or have been included in programs that draw heavily from evidence-based practices.

Data Collection/Analysis System and an Assessment Process for Students with Attendance Issues

It is clear that schools must implement and utilize an attendance-data collection system capable of allowing real-time analysis of student attendance. Without such a system, schools cannot under­stand the full scope of any attendance problems, and also cannot accurately identify individ­ual students with moderate to serious attendance issues. Furthermore, without a comprehen­sive system in place, schools do not have the ability to evaluate program effects.

A complete assessment process is also essential for determining the primary causes for student attendance issues. As described by Lyon and Cotler (2009), there are four dimensions in which students refuse school:

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  To avoid school-related stimuli that provoke negative feelings
  
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  To escape aversive social or evaluative situations
  
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  To obtain parental attention
  
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  To receive positive tangible reinforcement
  

Wilson, Gottfredson, and Najaka (2001) found that interventions that target at-risk youth are neces­sary to address chronic absenteeism, so it is essential that schools implement and monitor a data system that allows them to identify these students. Without a comprehensive assessment proc­ess, school administrators are unable to determine the reason or reasons a student misses school and are therefore unable to develop appropriate interventions.

Parental Involvement

Several studies discuss the effectiveness of parental involvement at both improving student atten­dance and improving academic achievement. According to DeSocio, VanCura, Nelson, Hewitt, Kitzman, and Cole (2007), Balfanz, Herzog, and MacIver (2007), and Epstein and Sheldon (2002), parental involvement is significantly and positively correlated with student attendance. Jeynes (2003), Fan and Chen (2001), and Hill and Tyson (2009) also argue that parental involve­ment is positively correlated with student academic achievement, such as grade point average and performance on standardized tests. Fan and Chen (2001) report that parental aspirations and expectations for children’s educational achievement has the strongest relationship with student academic achievement, while Hill and Tyson (2009) similarly argue that academic socializa­tion—which includes such activities as creating an understanding about the purposes, goals, and meaning of academic performance; communicating expectations about involvement; and provid­ing strategies the student can use effectively—has the strongest and most positive correlation with academic achievement.

Broad School-Based Interventions

Because conditions at schools have been identified as the leading factor contributing to truancy, school-based interventions focused on addressing attendance have become commonplace across the nation. In their research, Balfanz et al. (2007) identified several components found to be success­ful at improving student attendance, including:

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  The consistent recognition of positive behavior and good attendance
  
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  Delivering a consistent response to the first absence or incident of inappropriate behavior
  
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  Creating individually targeted efforts for students who are unresponsive to positive incen­tives and recognition
  
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  As a last resort, assigning a specific adult, usually one of the student’s main teachers, to mentor the student
  

Again, if effective data systems are not in place to alert school officials when attendance prob­lems arise, these immediate interventions will not be effective. Epstein and Sheldon (2002) also found that the use of incentives for positive behavior and attendance is positively correlated with both increasing daily school attendance and decreasing chronic absenteeism. Consistent with these findings, research supports a three-tiered approach to improving student attendance: focus­ing broad interventions on all students, more targeted interventions on students who meet certain criteria as being at risk for poor attendance, and substantial interventions on students with inten­sive needs (Balfanz et al., 2007).

Mental Health Treatment Paired With Parent Training and School/Family Communication

A significant amount of research supports an approach to improving school attendance that includes the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for students who have documented atten­dance issues. In a meta-analysis evaluation showing that school-based intervention improves stu­dent attendance, Wilson et al. (2001) found that interventions that incorporated CBT were the most effective. Maynard, Pigott, Tyson-McCrea, and Kelly (2009) also conducted a meta-analy­sis and systematic review of interventions aimed at improving school attendance and found that CBT, especially when paired with parent training, was the most effective approach. Doobay (2008), who argues that CBT is the only intervention for school-refusal behavior with sufficient empirical support, reviewed a case study of a seven-year-old Latina who received CBT, parental training for her mother, and communication with the child’s teachers, which resulted in the child’s successful reintegration into school, her achievement of a regular school routine, and her eventual ability to maintain improved behaviors without ongoing treatment. In a randomized con­trolled trial, King, Tonge, Heyne, Pritchard, Rollings, Young, Myerson, and Ollendick (1998) also found CBT paired with parent and teacher training to be effective at improving school atten­dance, with improvements maintained at a follow-up measurement.