San Francisco County Grand Jury
• 2002-2003
Tolerating Truancy – Inviting Failure:
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
A non-punitive truancy mediation program under the direction of the District Attorney’s office would encourage school attendance and eliminate the need for many SST and SART hearings.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
SFUSD should create the structure and policies necessary to enforce attendance laws.
F2
A Supervisor of Attendance is needed to supervise attendance tracking, record keeping, truancy mediation, SARBs, and district attorney referrals as necessary to enforce compulsory education laws.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
SFUSD should commence prompt and consistent enforcement of attendance laws, including more systematic use of truancy notices, conferences, and the appropriate cooperation with the District Attorney when necessary.
F3
SFUSD is unable, with its present attendance accounting procedures, to comply with state law governing truancy reporting and enforcement of compulsory education.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
SFUSD should work with the District Attorney’s office or the Chief Probation Officer to establish a non-punitive truancy mediation program.
F4
Attendance enforcement requires compliance with current truancy accounting that complies with state law.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Attendance monitoring personnel are not adequately instructed and often do not know when a truancy occurs and how to perform necessary record keeping; however, since they have sufficient data collection in place and other required procedures and forms are available, with proper instruction they could start required record keeping and truancy notices in the coming school year.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
SFPD and SFUSD should increase, not curtail, the number of SROs to serve all middle schools. SRO responsibility should include (1) serving as part of a homeroom team for habitual truants, and (2) having SROs deliver the first written warning for the truant to take home and be signed by a parent or guardian.
Additional Recommendations 1
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R6SFUSD should establish attendance award programs in all schools.