Reducing Truancy by Engaging Civic Partners

Ohio 8 Summit on Urban Education in Ohio

Dayton Public Schools - City of Dayton - Dayton Police Department - Montgomery County Juvenile Court

A Collaborative Approach to Truancy and Educational Neglect

Dayton Public SchoolsCity of Dayton

Dayton Police DepartmentMontgomery County Juvenile Court

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Truancy

“Combating truancy is one of the first ways that a community can reach out quickly to a disaffected young person and help families that may be struggling with a rebellious teenager.”

Truancy Campaign

Prepared by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with

the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Truancy

Getting Started

Identify barriers/gaps/issues Be positive Strategize!

adding other partners getting the word out

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Truancy

Primary elements of a comprehensive community and educational strategy to combat truancy include:

Involve parents in all truancy prevention activities. Ensure that students face firm sanctions for truancy. Create meaningful incentives for parental

responsibility. Establish ongoing truancy prevention programs in

school. Involve local law enforcement in truancy reduction.

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Initial Service Delivery Levels

Intervention Services’ Initial Service Delivery Model will be provided to assure that students receive adequate intervention assistance on three critical pathways to redirect their academic success. These pathways include:

Education

EnvironmentLife Skills

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Stakeholders

Development of a long-term integrated service delivery strategy which represents consensus and ownership of key partners necessary for success.

DPS Pupil Services School Building Administrators City Government Juvenile Court Law Enforcement Community Social Services Housing Authorities

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Truancy Center

History:

October 2002 The Dayton City Commission passed an ordinance to hold parents

accountable DPS opened the Truancy Center

Improve student attendance Integrate services with local law enforcement and social service jurisdictions Provide a single point of interfacing with DPS truant students Hold students and parents accountable for truant behavior

Police Department provided strong support in picking up students who were truant

Juvenile Court established programs for students and parents who faced truancy charges

Community members were charged with calling the Hotline Number 542-3228.

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BY….…………………………………. NO..………………………………….

AN ORDINANCE

Enacting Section 137.13 of the Revised Code of General Ordinances of the City of Dayton, to Require School Attendance and Parental Supervision.WHEREAS, Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3321 provides for the compulsory school attendance of children; and

WHEREAS, Children not attending school and not otherwise supervised by an adult subject themselves to conduct, conditions, or surroundings that endanger the health, safety, and welfare of those children; now, therefore,BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DAYTON:Section 1. That Section 137.13 of the Revised Code of General Ordinances is enacted and shall read as follows:

§ 137.13 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND PARENTAL SUPERVISIONNo child between the age of six (6) and seventeen (17), inclusive, who is required to be in

attendance at either a public, chartered or private school or an alternative placement program, or who is under suspension or expulsion from a public, chartered or private school or an alternative placement program, shall be on or about any public place or commercial premises within the City between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a regular school day. Evidence that such a child was on or about any public place or commercial premises between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a regular school day constitutes prima facie evidence of a violation of this section; however, the following are affirmative defenses:

The child has written proof from school authorities excusing the child from school attendance at that particular time.

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The child is accompanied by a parent, guardian or adult having legal care, custody or control of the child.

At the time the child was found at a place other than in school, the child was not required by law to be in school for reasons other than being suspended or expelled.

The child is employed pursuant to an age and schooling certificate during actual working hours or is traveling directly to or from such job site.

The child is responding to an emergency involving the risk of serious physical harm to a person.

No parent, guardian or other person having the legal care, custody or control of a child between the age of six (6) and seventeen (17), inclusive, shall fail to keep the child out of a public place or commercial premises within the City between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a regular school day. Evidence that the child was in a public place or commercial premises within the City between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a regular school day constitutes prima facie evidence of a violation of this section; however, it is an affirmative defense that at the time the violation occurs the child is subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court as a result of a complaint filed by the parent, guardian or other person having the legal care, control or custody of the child.

No parent, guardian or other person having the legal care, custody or control of a child between the age of six (6) and seventeen (17), inclusive, shall be convicted of a violation of § 137.13 (B) if any of the affirmative defenses in § 137.13 (A) are applicable to the child.

As used in this section, “public place” shall mean an area generally accessible to the public, including, but not limited to, alleys, bridges, buildings, driveways, parking lots, parks, plazas, sidewalks, streets and any other place that is open to the public.

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A police officer or school attendance officer may transport any child found violating § 137.13 (A) to the child’s residence and may release the child into the care of a parent, guardian or other person having the legal care, control or custody; or to the school the child usually attends; or to any location designated by the school authorities as a receiving center for such children, the choice of destination to be made at the discretion of the police officer or school attendance officer based on proximity of the destination and other relevant factors, and subject to the need to respond to emergency or priority calls.

In addition to any other method of enforcement provided by ordinance or statute, this section may be enforced by the issuance of a citation in compliance with Rule 4.1 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(G) Whoever violates §137.13 (A) or (B) is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.PASSED BY THE COMMISSION ………………October, 2002SIGNED BY THE MAYOR ……………………… October, 2002

______________________________________MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DAYTON, OHIOATTEST:___________________________________Clerk of the CommissionAPPROVED AS TO FORM:____________________________________City Attorney

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Truancy Center

Development of an operating plan for the Truancy Center including:

Center Purposes Target Population Profile Staffing Model Initial Service Delivery Strategy (internal and

external) Interface with Law Enforcement and desired

protocols Annual budget

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Staffing ModelAssistant Superintendent

for Pupil Services

Director of Student Services

Truancy Center CoordinatorClerical

Assistant(1 FTE)

On-CallClerical

Assistant

StudentServicesAdvisor

On-CallStudentServicesAdvisor

2Social

Worker

2SecurityOfficer

On-CallDirector of

HealthServices

On-CallSpecial Ed.

Advisor/SocialWorkers

*2 Potential positions required during first year

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Police Presence Dedicated Officer on Loan to DPS

funded through grant dollars

DPS Truancy Sweeps

Home Visits

Community Visibility

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Juvenile Court

K-4 Start Right Program 5-12 Program at Dayton Mediation

Center Court referrals Recommendation for probation

Strengths Based Services for Children and Families

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Juvenile Court

Truancy Sweeps Truancy Referrals Truancy Court Care Coordination Team

Children Services Mental Health Services

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Truancy Center Hotline 2003-2004

1211TOTAL

43May

59April

93March

100February

65January

85December

217November

276October

256September

17August

NUMBER OF CALLSMONTH

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Truancy Center Activity Report 2003-2004

Monitored attendance of referrals

36% significantly improved20% improved37% no improvement and/or

referred to court 7% no data available

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Attendance Has Improved

85.9

87.6

88.6

90.3

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

DistrictAttendanceRate

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Graduation Rate Is Up

53.80%

69.70%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

2002-2003 2003-2004

Graduation Rate

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Graduation Rates 2003-2004

PERCENTIMPROVEMENT

PERCENTINCREASE

2003-2004RATE

2002-2003RATE

DISTRICT

5.2%2.8%56.9%54.1%Youngstown City

8.8%6.2%76.6%70.4%Toledo City

29.5%15.9%69.7%53.8%Dayton City

1.2%0.7%60.6%59.9%Columbus City

23.1%9.4%50.2%40.8%Cleveland Mun. City

18.1%11.1%72.1%61.0%Cincinnati City

24.3%13.2%67.3%54.1%Canton City

6.6%4.9%79.7%74.8%Akron City

Reducing Truancy by Engaging Civic Partners

Dayton Public SchoolsCity of Dayton

Dayton Police DepartmentMontgomery County Juvenile Court

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