Truancy Solutions: A Collaborative Plan for Schools, Police Departments, Community Agencies and the Juvenile Justice System TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction Planning Group Members 3 Planning Group Background and Action 5 II. Executive Summary 8 III. The Issues 22 Critical Demographics 22 Comprehensive Response to Attendance Diagram, Dr. Hedy Chang 26 Discussion of the Issues & National Research 26 IV. PREVENTION - Chronic Absence 27 Tarrant County Menu of Evidenced-informed Recommendations 27 1. Truancy Prevention Mediation Program, Dispute Resolution Services of 27 NTx 2. Teacher Home Visits 29 3. Attendance Incentives for Parents/Students 30 4. On-Site Therapeutic Family Counseling 31 5. Santa Fe Youth Services Strengthening Families Program 32 V. INTERVENTION - Truancy 35 Discussion of the Issues & National Research 35 Tarrant County Menu of Evidenced-informed Recommendations 39 1. Intervention Attendance Incentive Program (AIP) 39 2. Neighborhood Conference Committee 41 3. Lena Pope’s Second Opportunity for Success 43 4. AimTruancy Solutions 45 5. Parenting with Love and Limits 47 6. Santa Fe Youth Services – Reconnecting Youth 49 7. Job Corps 50 VI. MANAGEMENT - Suspension, Expulsion, Dropping-Out and Delinquency 52 Top Ten Reasons Why Teens Drop Out of School 52 Discussion of the Issues & National Research 54 Tarrant County Menu of Evidenced-informed Recommendations 56 1. Court-Based and Court Diversion Program 56 VII. Evaluation 60 VIII. Committee Recommendation for Action 61 IX. Appendix – Recommended Program Contacts 63 2 | P a g e Membership February 2, 2012 – December 15, 2012 Community Chair: Sylvia Nichols, LPCS, Arlington ISD Project Development Prevention Sub-Committee Curtis Amos Everman Superintendent, Student Services Rebecca Barksdale Tarrant County Chelsea Belote Texas Appleseed Katherine Bisbee Counselor, ACH Child & Family Services Jerry Buford Bedford Police Department Wendy Carrington AISD Director, Dropout Prevention Bill Daily Staff Attorney, TX Appleseed Linda De Leon Principal, AISD Speer Elementary Andrew Fitzpatrick Vice president operations, Boys & Girls Clubs, Arlington Deborah Fowler Deputy Director, Texas Appleseed Kathryn Freeman Texas Appleseed Stephanie Gillespie Arlington Police Department Carole Hagler AISD, State and Federal Programs Amy Hernandez Director, Truancy Program Eagle Mt.-Saginaw ISD Bowie Hogg AISD School Board Noreen Kennedy Program Coordinator, Big HOPE, Big Brother Big Sisters Todd Landry Executive Director, Lena Pope Home, Inc. Ricardo Lucero Executive Director, Arlington Police Department Marc Marchand Arlington Public Library Sean Milligan Everman ISD Abby Mitchell Dispute Resolution Services Jeni McGarry Commissioner Andy Nguyen’s Office Curtis Petties Arlington police Kelly Rodriguez Assist. Precinct Administrator, Commissioner Andy Nguyen Sandra Romero Summit International Prep Carolyn Sims Northeast Sub-Courthouse Regina Smith TCPH-Nurse Family Partnership Trey Webster Family specialist, Lean Pope Home, Inc. Richard Williamson Truancy Consultant, Volunteer, J. P. Precinct 1 Steve Wurm Boys & Girls Clubs, Arlington Intervention Sub-Committee Johnny Barrington Lead Truancy Officer, HEB ISD Scott Brown Arlington Police Department Tanisha Collins AISD Attendance Offic – Lamar HS Bill Daily Staff Attorney, TX Appleseed Deborah Fowler Deputy Director, Texas Appleseed Kathryn Freeman Texas Appleseed Randy Gardner Technical Sargent Community Services, Bedford Police Department Jodi Heilbrunn National Center for School Engagement Amy Hernandez Director, Truancy Program Eagle Mt.-Saginaw ISD 3 | P a g e Virginia Hoft Santa Fe Adolescent Services Bowie Hogg AISD School Board Liz Hummert Arlington Police Department Bobby Jester Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD James King Executive Director, Everman ISD Randy Nyhus AISD Attendance Office, Martin Network Kenneth Page Everman ISD Loester Posey Director Student Discipline & Placement, FWISD Linda Reeves Human Resources and Student Services, Eagle mountain-Saginaw ISD Chris Rose Truancy officer, Lake Worth ISD Barry Smith Director for Attendance Control FWISD Management Sub-Committee Brian Harris, Chair Harris Consulting Hon. Linda Bierman-Davis Justice of the Peace Carlin Caliman Juvenile Case Coordinator, Arlington Municipal Court Scott Donaldson Assistant Coordinator, TCCD Criminal Justice Training Center Debbie Durko Municipal Court Administrator, North Richland Hills Court Nancy Griggs Tarrant County Precinct 2 James Hawthorne Assistant Chief, Arlington Police Department Dr. Nathanial Hearne HEB ISD Amy Hernandez Director, Truancy Program Eagle Mt.-Saginaw ISD Krystal James Youth & Family Specialist, Commissioner Roy Brooks Karen Kayser Director Student & Staff Services, Commissioner Andy Nguyen Steve Moore Chief of Police, Hurst Police Department Ken Shetter Safe City Commission Isaac Smith FWISD Les Smith Tarrant County Criminal Justice Coordinator Hon. Ralph Swearingin Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Randy Turner Director, Tarrant county Juvenile Services Kynda Turpin Administrative Clerk, JP2 Jimmy Walker AISD Assist. Superintendent, Administration Sharen Wilson Judge, Criminal District Court 1 Richard Williamson Volunteer 4 | P a g e Background: In 2010, Every Student Counts: A REPORT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO TRUANCY AND SCHOOL DROPOUTS AND SOME PROPOSED SOLUTIONS was presented to a group of Tarrant County school districts, police departments, juvenile justice and court staff, and county commissioners. A community based planning committee was established to develop a Tarrant County Truancy Plan. February 2, 2012, a community group of some 40 persons met at the Arlington ISD Woodrow Counts Administration Building, Arlington Independent School District to discuss the attendance, truancy, delinquency, and court issues plaguing Tarrant County. Representatives from Texas Appleseed, an Austin-based policy think tank and The National Center for School Engagement, a Colorado-based research firm joined the conversation. The basis for the conversation was the reference to pages 14, 55, 75, 86, and 154 from the 2011 North Central Texas Countywide Criminal Justice Community Plan. In summary of that meeting, the group decided to form an open county-wide planning committee. The committee would meet to identify specific concerns, issues, roadblocks and evidence based successful strategies. The target product would be a Tarrant County Truancy Plan. On February 29, 2012, an open invitation meeting established three major activities to be accomplished. 1. The need for some targeted qualitative assessment. With funding from the County Commissioner’s Court, Arlington, Everman, and Fort Worth Independent School Districts were selected to participate in a student focus group study in May 2012. The Center for School Engagement was selected to complete the study. 2. Development of a three component plan that had flexibility for all the diverse communities within Tarrant County under the headings of successful evidence based: a. Prevention Strategies, b. Intervention Strategies, c. Management Strategies, and d. Acknowledgement that the local school district(s), police department(s), and court system(s) would need to meet and select components in each strategy area to turn the growing tide of chronic absence, truancy, suspension, expulsion, dropouts, and delinquency. 3. Development of an Evaluation Plan for documentation of effectiveness of the three components. Acknowledging the communication challenge from school district to nonprofit to governmental units provided an awareness of potential stumbling blocks. Following this activity and discussion of lesson to be learned, the group selected a subcommittee of interest. Each sub-committee (Prevention, Intervention and Management) elected a chair, recorder, and developed a work group roster and schedule. Each sub- committee was asked to consider ground rules that included: Culture, ethnicity and language barriers in every program discussion and suggestion. 5 | P a g e For every program proposal, identify a “must have” list of partners and “must have” Communication process. Recommend three (3) “Carrot” approaches for every “Stick” approach. Follow the recommended Outline when submitting a strategic evidence based program. On April 25, 2012, the open invitation committee welcomed new participants and met at the Tarrant County College District NW Campus, Michael Saenz Conference Room and reviewed a quote by Frederick Douglass, “it’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Most of the meeting time was devoted to subcommittee work group members presenting successful evidenced based programs. Prior to the meeting adjournment, each subcommittee reported on current progress to the committee at large. Each subcommittee was challenged to meet prior to the next large group meeting in order to expedite completion of a draft plan. On June 6, 2012, the open invitation committee continued to welcome new participants and met at the Pat May Center in Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District. Arlington, Everman, and Fort Worth ISD representatives reported on the student focus groups held in May at two middle schools, one junior high school and three high schools by the Center for School Engagement, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The consensus was that although CDs were given as participation incentives, students appeared to just be pleased to be asked their opinions and not necessarily primarily motivated by an incentive. A narrative document will be produced by the Center