Abstract
During the 1981-82 and 1982-83 school years, 32 schools in 28 districts in California participated in a pilot study authorized by the School Attendance Improvement Act to implement attendance improvement strategies appropriate for their student population. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) to conduct follow-up interviews with attendance personnel in the seventeen California high schools that were in the pilot study to determine what strategies they are currently using to improve the attendance of pupils within their respective schools, and (2) to survey a sample of other high schools in California that did not participate in the original study to determine the extent to which they have adopted these or other attendance strategies and to gather perceptions as to the effectiveness of the strategies. The results of the data analysis show that the strategy of personal contact with parents is the most highly used of all the strategies. The three techniques given the highest effectiveness ratings by both the pilot and non-pilot schools are individualized counseling, daily telephone calls, and computerized records. Rewards strategies received the lowest ranking by both groups. The moderator variables of school size, school urbanity/rurality, and school socio-economic make-up do impact the types of strategies or tactics that schools employ to improve attendance. Large and medium-sized schools as well as urban and suburban schools use the personal contact with parents strategy more frequently than small schools and rural schools. Consequence strategies are used most often by suburban schools. Personal contact with students strategies are used most frequently among low socio-economic status schools. Rewards strategies are significantly more effective and most commonly used by low socio-economic status schools. In conclusion, the same strategies that are effective and most commonly used by the pilot schools are also effective and most commonly used by the non-pilot schools. The results show that the correct match of strategy with school urbanity/rurality and school socio-economic make-up can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of the attendance intervention. The size of the school makes no significant difference regarding the effectiveness of the strategy used to improve attendance.