Evaluation of the Truancy Court Diversion Program in the District of Columbia, 2011-12

• NCJ Number: 243337
• Author(s): Meagan Cahill; Akiva Lieberman
• Date Published: September 2012
• Length: 41 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-JAGR-1114
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); Justice Grants Admin, Executive Office of the Mayor, District of Columbia
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This document is the final evaluation report for the District of Columbia's Truancy Court Diversion Program.

Abstract

During the 2011-2012 school year, the District of Columbia family court system implemented a pilot program, the Truancy Court Diversion Program (TCDP), for at risk students and their parents. The program was implemented at two middle schools in the District. The primary purpose of the program is to address students' motivations and attitudes and to examine the barriers that prevent them attending school on a regular basis. This final report presents the findings of an evaluation of the program during its initial stages. The primary purpose of the evaluation was to assess the potential for expanding the pilot program into other schools, and if expanded, assess the potential for the program to reduce truancy rates the District's schools. Key findings from the report include the following: successful implementation of the program requires a strong partnership between the courts and schools; the current pilot encountered challenges concerning recruitment and program participation; and lack of a strong-structure for regular information sharing regarding family needs and services and students' academic progress. The evaluation also resulted in a set of recommendations for improving the program, such as holding regular team meetings, formalizing program eligibility criteria, providing increased training for program partners, and strengthening the use of incentives and consequences to improve program attendance. The program, modeled after the truancy court diversion program implemented in Louisville, KY, was developed by the court system in the District of Columbia to address the severe problem of student truancy at District schools. The program consists of weekly group sessions with students, meeting with individual families, case management and service provisions, team meetings, and ancillary activities. The different aspects of the program are discussed in detail in the report. Tables, figures, and references