Article Truancy Interventions: A Review of the Research Literature

Objectives: This article presents a systematic review of the literature on evaluative studies of truancy interventions. Method: Included studies evaluating truancy interventions appearing in peer-reviewed academic journals from 1990 to 2007. Findings: In total, 16 studies were assessed. Eight studies used group comparison designs and eight studies used one-group pretest/posttest designs. Studies varied on sample sizes, definitions of truant behavior, focus of interventions, and dependent measures. Conclusions: Six studies produced useful and promising interventions including contingency management, school reorganiza-tion, punitive measures, community partnerships, and family-oriented activities. The substantial methodological shortcomings, inconsistent definitions, and lack of replication demonstrate a need for more and better evaluation studies to provide a more definitive knowledge base to guide effective truancy interventions for practitioners. Keywords education, evidence-based practice, adolescents School absenteeism and truancy have been issues in the United States since the introduction of compulsory education and mandatory attendance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Leyba & Massat, 2009). Student attendance is one of th