Children are Successful in School (Allegany County)

Story Behind the Curve

While improving, truancy continues to be an area of concern.Local school personnel report family health issues, financial problems, substance abuse, depression, bullying and harassment, and homelessness as the main causes of chronic absenteeism.To address these issues, LMB-funded programs work to build a connected community by building social competencies, increasing student engagement, providing professional development for school staff on nonacademic barriers to school success, educating and involving parents, and early intervention.A barrier to these efforts is the lack of safe and affordable activities to engage youth.

Strategies to improve these indicators

• Expanded Diversion Services
• Juvenile Review Board
• Substance Abuse Intervention for At-Risk Youth

Why Is This Important?

School success is important to the community and the Local Management Board (LMB).Allegany County has high rates of truancy, an increase in reported bullying in the schools as well as high rates of adolescent substance abuse and the increase in non-violent juvenile arrests in Allegany County are areas of concern.Truancy is defined as unlawfully not attending school consistently within one school year.Students who are classified as chronically or habitually truant miss 20% of school days (excused or unexcused) in a given period of the school year.Reasons for students being truant from school include: family and health related issues, financial demands, substance abuse, mental health problems, bullying, and lack of connectedness.

Truancy has been clearly defined as one of the early warning signs of students headed for potential delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure as the result of suspension, expulsion, or dropping out.Further a lack of commitment to school has been established by several studies as a risk factor for substance abuse, delinquency, and teen pregnancy.Educational attainment, including the type of education one receives, has a direct effect on a person’s well-being and economic security throughout life. Programs that provide early intervention are needed to ensure that youth most at-risk have the supports need to be successful in school.

Data Discussion

Program Summary

Expanded Diversion Services builds a continuum of early interventions to youth in middle school to prevent truancy and promote school attendance.This program focuses mainly on 6^th graders who are transitioning into the middle school setting.

Target Population

Middle school age students at Braddock Middle School and Washington Middle School whose attendance is at or less than 93.4% days of school at any point throughout the year and are at risk of juvenile delinquency. There is a concentration on 6 grade students, who are exhibiting school attendance issues.

Program Summary

The Juvenile Review Board offers meaningful alternatives to the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) system through early intervention strategies that are school and community-based and reflect offender responsibility. The Board consists of volunteers and typically includes people from family service agencies, churches, businesses, and other leaders in the community.

Target Population

All first time non-alcohol or drug related juvenile non-violent offenders are offered the opportunity to participate in this program as an alternative to entering the juvenile justice system. The JRB receives referrals from DJS and the Truancy Prevention Coordinator. The JRB Coordinator also works with the Coalition for Out-of-School Time Programs in order to link at-risk youth to out-of-school time programs and to inform the coalition of gaps/needs in available out-of-school time programs.