A Truancy Court Program Toolkit

Truancy is the first and best indicator that a student is headed for trouble. Statistics show that habitual truancy is the beginning of a downward spiral: truancy, poor performance on standardized tests, falling behind socially, losing interest in and connection to school, dropping out, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse and, eventually, adult criminality. That’s why communities across the country are working hard to reduce truancy. The University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) has developed an innovative Truancy Court Program that engages volunteer judges in an intensive, 10-week, in-school program for elementary and middle school students. Judges, counselors and education specialists team up with truant students, services providers, parents, teachers and principals to improve overall school attendance. The goal is not to punish students who miss school but to understand—and to practically address—why they are not there.https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/fac_books/1010/thumbnail.jp