Right Track Truancy Reduction
Program
"Students with the highest truancy rates have
the lowest academic achievement rates, and because truants are the youth most
likely to drop out of school,
they have high drop-out rates as well."
U.S.
Department of Justice
It’s a fact:
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75% of all truants will eventually drop out of school
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Truancy has been clearly
defined as one of the early warning signs that youth are headed for educational
failure
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75% of our nation’s incarcerated criminals were habitual truants
Right Track is a collaborative program developed since
2001 by Project Success in cooperation with local schools, law enforcement,
service providers, judges,
and the IL Attorney General’s office. This comprehensive program is coordinated
by Project Success in cooperation with the Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education
and Decatur Public Schools, with oversight from members of the Right
Track Prevention Policy Board.
How does it work?
Right Track is designed to affect the student’s truancy through the parent. It
seeks to decrease chronic truancy and keep children in school by:
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Focusing on support
services for the family
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Focusing on parent
accountability and responsibility to keep children in school
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Educating
parents about truancy laws in Illinois and the consequences of non-compliance.
Right Track provides intervention and service linkage for middle school and
elementary students with 5 or more unexcused absences. Parent meetings
educate parents as
to their obligation under the law and state/local attendance policies. Since
its inception as a pilot program at one middle school in the spring of
2001, the program has grown each year to include five elementary and
three middle
Decatur public schools.
The Right Track benefits?
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The Child receives
the education he needs and deserves
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The Family is offered social service
assistance to address the issues at the root of the truancy
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The School District realizes increased state funding based on average daily attendance and
a decreased likelihood of students dropping
out
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The Community benefits from long term reductions in crime and
violence
Right Track is working to help keep children in
school!
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Since its inception
in the spring of 2001, over 1300 middle school
students have been referred to Right Track.
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Over 450 elementary
students have been referred to Right Track since
the program was expanded in 2003.
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During the 2003-2004
school year, 85% of the 258 elementary students
and 71% of the 318 middle school students who were referred to Right Track
significantly improved
their
attendance.
Planning is underway to secure funding to expand this successful program
to all public elementary schools in Decatur to help children succeed–and
stay–in
school. For more information contact Jane at Project Succes.
Youth Court
"Restorative Justice is a new way of thinking
about and responding to crime that emphasizes one fundamental fact: Crime damages
people, communities,
and relationships. If crime is about harm, a justice process should
emphasize repairing the harm."
Office
of the IL Attorney General
For the past two years Project Success has worked in cooperation
with the office of the IL Attorney General and a local middle
school to
implement the state’s
first Middle School Youth Court at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Based
on restorative justice, this intervention is working to help
resolve problems that could lead to educational failure.
Decatur’s Youth Court is the first middle school Youth Court in the state. As
a school based initiative, it provides intervention for violators of school rules,
not crimes. It represents a means to improve behavior and attendance through
a student led ‘Peer Jury’ format. Student volunteers
are trained to hear cases and determine consequences for fellow
students referred
for truancy
and minor disruptive behaviors.
All involved in Youth Court benefit by learning to:
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Understand
the impact of their actions on others
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Develop competencies
to enable them to become responsible and productive citizens
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Understand
the legal and judicial system
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Learn about problem
solving and conflict management
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Increase life
and coping skills
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Benefit from opportunities
to make meaningful contributions to their families, schools,
peer groups and communities
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Develop a personal
stake in the future of their communities.
Youth Courts such as Decatur’s represent a promising and cost
effective alternative by helping to keep middle school students
in school and, ultimately,
out of the juvenile justice system.
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