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The Truancy Court Prevention Project (TCPP) was launched
in September 2004 with the purpose of reducing Hartford's high dropout
rate. The program currently operates in Quirk Middle School and
Hartford Public High School and is a collaboration between the Center
for Children's Advocacy, Hartford Public Schools, the Connecticut
Judicial Department, the Capitol Region Education Council, and the
Village for Children and Families.
The TCPP targets students in eighth and ninth grades.
These grades were chosen because research shows that the transition
to high school is often followed by decreases in academic performances
and by increases in absenteeism.
The TCPP provides intensive and holistic support to
its participants. A main focus of the TCPP is on students' rights
to appropriate academic assessment and support. During its first
two years in existence, the program discovered a high incidence
of long-standing academic failure among its participants.
The main components of the TCPP are as follows:
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Biweekly in-school court sessions with a
judge who meets with each student individually and monitors
the student's academic progress and attendance.
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Case management that links students to
needed services, such as mentoring, counseling, after school
and youth development activities, tutoring, and job placement.
Case managers from community based agencies monitor students'
academic progress and attendance on a daily basis and serve
as liaisons between the school, student and his family. Case
managers also facilitate family engagement in school by conducting
regular home visits and updating parents on their child's progress.
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Review of each student's cumulative school
record by an independent educational consultant who makes recommendations
for improved academic performance. The educational consultant
also observes classrooms and attends Planning and Placement
Team (PPT) meetings on select cases.
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Individual legal representation to students
in areas that affect attendance, such as education, special
education, access to health and mental health services, and
public benefits.
- Legal advocacy on systemic issues that may
contribute to high dropout rates. Past and current examples of
such issues include fair discipline policy, the entitlement to
appropriate bilingual education, and access to tutoring and school
choice under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Information
and History of Truancy Court Project
Changing the Judiciary's
Relaltionship with a Community, One Child at a Time
ABA Judges' Journal Summer 2007
SES
Tutoring Request Form (PDF)
The Supplemental Educational Services (SES) program
is part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Through
the SES program, parents can get free tutoring services for their
children. These services provide extra help in academic subjects,
such as reading, language arts, and mathematics, to students who
may be struggling in school. These services are typically delivered
outside the regular school day-before or after school on weekends
or during the summer months. This tutoring must be in line with
state academic standards and connected to the school district's
instructional program. Eligible families choose an SES provider
from a list developed by their state. School districts pay providers
directly for services. The SES program encourages states to approve
a variety of organizations as SES providers, thus giving students
and families the largest possible range of quality options.
For more information, contact Emily
Breon, Esq., MSW, Director, Truancy
Court Prevention Project.
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