Getting Kids to School: School Engagement and Truancy Forum on Early Chronic Absence–Missing School in Grades K-3
Note: OSI-Baltimore will go ahead with the February 22 forum with Hedy Chang from 10 to 11:30 as planned. If there are unusually serious disruptions due to the weather, please call our main number 410-234-1091 to confirm.
What: Discussion about chronic absenteeism among young children, featuring Hedy Chang, research consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation
When: 10 to 11:30 a.m., Friday, February 22
Where: Open Society Institute-Baltimore
201 North Charles Street, Suite 1300
Editors' note: Seating is limited. Please call Justin Schaberg at 410-234-1091 to reserve a seat.
BALTIMORE—The Open Society Institute-Baltimore will host the second forum in its series about truancy—this one focusing on Baltimore students in kindergarten through third grade who miss school regularly. During the 2006-2007 school year, about 17 percent of the city's students in those grades were chronically absent.
This forum features Hedy Chang, consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, who is conducting research on the causes, consequences, and potential responses to missing extended periods of school in kindergarten through third grade in Baltimore and other cities. Her preliminary findings suggest that rates of chronic absence are highest among children living in poverty and participating in special education. Children who face domestic and community violence also are more likely to be chronically absent, her research shows. With more than 18 years of experience in the philanthropic and non-profit sectors, Chang is a researcher, writer, and facilitator focused on promoting social and economic justice. She will be the guest blogger on February 19 on OSI-Baltimore's blog, www.audaciousideas.org.
Chronic absence has devastating consequences on children's chances for success in school. Students who are frequently absent—even in elementary school—tend to score lower on achievement tests, drop out of school at higher rates, and become involved in the juvenile justice system more often than their peers. "Especially when truancy starts at such a young age, it often places students on the path to school failure, suspension, expulsion and dropping out of school," said Diana Morris, director of OSI-Baltimore. "With this forum series, we hope to bring together policy makers, educators, service providers, advocates, and funders to learn about chronic school absence and to discuss innovative strategies that will improve student engagement, school attendance—and ultimately student achievement—in Baltimore."
This forum series builds on OSI-Baltimore's ongoing effort to help reduce the number of Baltimore students suspended and expelled, especially for minor infractions, and to increase the number of children who can attend school each day. Past forum series and grants have promoted school-wide approaches to teaching good behavior, supportive services to address students' non-academic needs, and in-school consequences for students who misbehave.
Subsequent forums include:
10 to 11:30 a.m., March 18—Kimberly Henry, assistant professor of psychology, Colorado State University, will discuss truancy and adolescent drug use. Her expertise is in drug and alcohol use among adolescents and young adults, and her current research focuses on the relationship between substance abuse and school disengagement.
10 to 11:30 a.m., April 23—Daniel Losen is senior education law and policy associate of The Civil Rights Project at UCLA. He will discuss the impact of the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act on truancy and drop out. Prior to joining the Civil Rights Project, Losen practiced education law for economically disadvantaged students in Massachusetts. Before becoming a lawyer, Losen taught in public schools for ten years. His current research and advocacy work concerns the impact of federal, state and local education law and policy on students of color, the school-to-prison pipeline, and school "push out" and "drop out."