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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Effective Tribal Truancy Prevention Strategies. Opening in a good way…. Vision . Vision is not analytic; it is intuitive. It is knowing in your bones what can or must be done.

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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

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  1. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Effective Tribal Truancy Prevention Strategies

  2. Opening in a good way…

  3. Vision Vision is not analytic; it is intuitive. It is knowing in your bones what can or must be done. Vision isn’t forecasting; it is creating the future by taking action in the present

  4. Truancy and School Dropouts Student non-attendance is a problem that extends much further than the school. It affects the student, the family, and the community.

  5. Facts • 80% of dropouts were chronically truant before dropping out. • 90% of youth in detention for delinquent acts were chronically truant. • Truancy is one of the early warning signs that a student is headed for a variety of problems. • A nation-wide study found that 75% of truant middle and high school students failed to graduate.

  6. Please Type into the Chat What truancy-related challenges are you facing in your community?

  7. Graduation among Native Youth • 82% of AI/AN students graduate from high school (cf. 90% of students in the general population). • 65% of AI/AN high school students complete freshman year (cf. 76% of all students in the general population).

  8. Reading Skills • 81% of AI/AN 8th graders read below grade level (cf. 62 % of Caucasian 8th graders). • 74% of AI/AN 12th graders read below grade level (cf. 57% of Caucasian 12th graders).

  9. Check all truancy reduction activities you are currently engaged in. Truancy code development Truancy prevention plan Early warning system Mentoring Positive physical, social, and/or cultural activities None of the above

  10. Reasons for Truancy In broad terms, the reasons for youth truancy can be understood from four perspectives: personal, family, school, and community. http://www.aidainc.net/monograph.pdf

  11. Student Factors for Truancy • Lack of personal and educational ambition • Poor academic performance • Retention / overage for grade • Poor relationships with other students • Gang involvement • Unmet mental health needs • Alcohol and drug abuse

  12. Family and Community Factors • Negative peer influences • External pressure to stay home to help with family • Child abuse and neglect • Family disorganization • Teen pregnancy or parenthood • Lack of family support • Violence • Differing culturally-based attitudes toward education

  13. School Factors for Truancy • Inconsistent and ineffective school attendance policies • Poor record keeping • Unsafe school environment • Poor relations with teachers • Inadequate identification of special education needs

  14. Cultural Conflict • Cultural disconnect between average public school and AI/AN communities that it serves is partially to blame for the gap between AI/AN and Caucasian students’ academic achievement. • Civil rights and cultural identities of AI/AN students are often not supported in the classroom.

  15. Truancy and Bullying • An OJJDP study found that if bullying results in the victim becoming less engaged in school, then the victim is more likely to cease attending school and trying to achieve. (Seeley, Tombari, Bennett & Dunkle, 2011). 

  16. Consequences of Bullying • Truancy • School shootings • Low self-esteem • Depression, loneliness, & anxiety • Suicidal thoughts

  17. Please type into the chat • What types of school engagement strategies are currently being employed in your community?

  18. Effective Program Strategies • Collaboration: creating a broad-based multidisciplinary partnership • True family involvement: active parent engagement • A comprehensive approach

  19. Effective Strategies • Effective programs: meaningful consequences for truancy and meaningful incentives for attendance • A supportive context • Rigorous evaluation and ongoing assessment

  20. Guiding Principles for Working with Youth • Help youth develop a meaningful relationship with a significant adult • Expose youth to a healthy lifestyle • Develop job skills • Participate in positive physical, cultural and social activities • Provide the opportunity to give back to the community through community service

  21. Restorative Practices Restorative Practices such as Talking Circles and Family Group Decision Making Conferences (FGDMC) are proving successful in Indian Country, as these practices • are asset-based. • involve the family. • empower the youth and family. • are culturally responsive. • include shared responsibility to solving the issues at hand.

  22. What partnerships do you currently have that are focused on reducing truancy? Schools Law Enforcement Social Services Mental Health Agencies Community-based Organizations None of the above

  23. Building effective partnerships

  24. WHO ARE YOUR PARTNERS?

  25. Strategies for Engaging Law Enforcement (an example) Up to 68% of daytime crime has been reduced through effective intervention and identification of truant youth. • Get buy-in from the Chief/Captain of Police • Focus on what CAN be done • Recognize that police work is not an isolated activity; community members must share responsibility for solving community problems like truancy • Approach younger officers who may be willing to donate some time to project activities

  26. Key Practices • Focus on building trusting collaborative relationships • Recognize, respect, and address families’ needs as well as cultural differences • Embrace a philosophy of partnership • Be “strength-based” • Embrace a mindset of “what CAN we do?” versus “what we CAN’T do”

  27. Sample Options for Connecting and Engaging Youth in Schools and Communities • Tutoring • Meaningful community service • Clubs and extracurricular activities

  28. Promising Approaches to truancy prevention in Indian country

  29. Seneca Nation of New York • "Growing Good Minds” youth group • Grandparents Club • Community members teaching each other how to make rattles, drums, and other cultural arts

  30. Seneca Nation : Summary • Community involvement • Youth participation in field trips and volunteering activities • Prevention Specialist works closely with school

  31. Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians - California • Truancy program • The County Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) process: codified and being refined • Developing Education Code for Tribe, including jurisdiction over truant tribal member youth

  32. Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe Boys and Girls Club - Wisconsin • Truancy Prevention Project  • 72% reduction of chronic truancy for Native students population in past 3 years  • Empowering students to "tell their story" and providing them with new self-empowerment tools 

  33. DISCUSSION

  34. Additional Resources • National Center for School Engagement www.schoolengagement.org • Center for Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development www.delinquencyprevention.org • National Dropout Prevention Centers www.dropoutprevention.org

  35. EDC Tribal Youth Training & Technical Assistance Center serving OJJDP Tribal Youth Programs www.tribalyouthprogram.org

  36. closing…

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