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:

• 75% of all truants will eventually drop out of school

• Truancy has been clearly defined as one of the early warning signs that youth are headed for educational failure

• 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:

• Focusing on support services for the family

• Focusing on parent accountability and responsibility to keep children in school

• 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?

• The Child receives the education he needs and deserves

• The Family is offered social service assistance to address the issues at the root of the truancy

• The School District realizes increased state funding based on average daily attendance and a decreased likelihood of students dropping out

• The Community benefits from long term reductions in crime and violence

Right Track is working to help keep children in school!

• Since its inception in the spring of 2001, over 1300 middle school students have been referred to Right Track.

• Over 450 elementary students have been referred to Right Track since the program was expanded in 2003.

• 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:

• Understand the impact of their actions on others

• Develop competencies to enable them to become responsible and productive citizens

• Understand the legal and judicial system

• Learn about problem solving and conflict management

• Increase life and coping skills

• Benefit from opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their families, schools, peer groups and communities

• 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.