The Contributing Factors to Student Absenteeism/Truancy and the Effectiveness of Social Services and Interventions
One major issue that schools are currently facing and seeing little or no improvement with is effectively dealing with student absenteeism and truancy. Despite early interventions, programs are still failing to effectively motivate students to attend school. This research study examines the success of an implementation of a perfect attendance award within an elementary school to increase student attendance. An examination of student attendance from the 2006-2007 academic year and from the 20072008 academic year, suggested that the perfect attendance certificate distributed monthly to students with no absences for that month is a positive motivator for students to attend school every day. The data from the months of September, October and November in the 2006-2007 year had a mean score of 54.5 and the 2007-2008 year had a mean score of 59.5, which indicated from an Independent Samples Test that the data proves to be statistically significant, thus the certificates accounted for increased attendance rates. Follow up surveys also provide evidence that the attendance certificates are an overall positive motivator for students and help to increase student attendance at one elementary school. Recognizing student’s strengths of attending school every day is a powerful tool of empowerment, and reduces absenteeism.
Pupil Performance, Absenteeism and School Drop-out: A Multi-dimensional Analysis
This article assesses whether second-level schools in Ireland, typically covering pupils 12 to 18 years of age, are equally effective in relation to three different outcomes: examination performance, absenteeism and potential drop-out among pupils. The article uses data from a large-scale survey of second-level pupils in 116 schools in Ireland. Analysis is restricted to one cohort: pupils aged 15-16 years who took a nationally standardised examination, the Junior Certificate, in 1994. Multivariate multi-level modelling techniques are used to assess the impact of pupil background and schooling factors on overall examination performance, on absenteeism levels and on intentions to leave school after the exam. Some consistency is found among these different dimensions of school effectiveness: pupil absenteeism and potential drop-out rates are lower in schools which enhance academic progress among pupils. These outcomes are associated with more positive teacher-pupil relations and a more positive academic clim...
Historias de mi barrio: contemporary art in a community at high risk of social exclusion
Abstract Historias de mi barrio is a piece of pedagogic research aimed at highlighting the way art can articulate the relationship between the educational context and a neighbourhood at high risk of social exclusion. The starting point for this study was to ask whether this type of research, centred around the arts, was suitable in complex contexts and whether it might eventually lead to pedagogic improvement. The results gathered, and indeed the work carried out by the artists and university lecturers involved, together with pupils 6–12 years old and their instructors in a state school, provide evidence of a positive answer – and notably of the necessity of knowing about the socio-economic reality of the student cohort when planning learning projects and of the importance of the arts as a crucial element in education.