Student Welfare & Social Services
Multidisciplinary Approach
Dr. Cary Grant
Director of Student Welfare
and Social Services
January 21, 2016
High Levels of Chronic Absence are Found in Urban,
Suburban and Rural Communities
 Nationwide an estimated 5 million to 7.5 million students are
chronically absent each year
 In some school districts, as many as one in four students are
chronically absent.
 This is not just a high school problem.
 Low-income students are four times more likely to be chronically
absent than their middle class peers.
 Chronic absence occurs even when the absences occur
sporadically throughout the year.
2
Truancy is the First Indicator that a Young Person is
Giving Up
According to the US Department of Education, when
young people start skipping school, they are telling
their parents, school officials, and the community at
large that they are in trouble and need of
our help if they are to keep moving forward in life.
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Truancy Is One of the Top Ten Major Problems
Among Juveniles in the United States
•
Early indicator and gateway to crime
•
Cost to society and to the individual is substantial
•
Truant girls are significantly more likely to become pregnant
dropouts who are dependent on public assistance
•
Educational neglect is often a pattern perpetrated through
multiple generations of family members
4
Each Day of Absence in Ninth Grade is Associated with
a Dramatically Reduced Likelihood of Graduating
(Johns Hopkins University)
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0-4 days out - 87% chance of graduating
5-9 days out - 63% chance of graduating
10-14 days out - 41% chance of graduating
15-19 days out - 21% chance of graduating
20-24 days out - 9% chance of graduating
25-29 days out - 5% chance of graduating
30-34 days out - 2% chance of graduating
35-40 days out - 1% chance of graduating
5
School Social Workers are the Link Between Home,
School and Community Promoting and Supporting
Students’ Academic and Social Success
• Direct with community resources
• Crisis prevention and intervention
• Collaborate with parents
• Case management for students and families requiring multiple
needs
• Advocate for new and improved community/school services
• Interpret school law and school policy
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HCS Student Welfare and Social Services
Dr. Cary Grant
(Director)
Homebound Services
Pam Palmer
(Administrative
Assistant
Social Workers
Connie Baer
MSW
Jim Christopher,
History
Patricia
McKellery BSW
Julian Johnson,
Science
Patricia Corbitt
MSW
Leigh Ann Mize,
English
Audrey Bailey
MSW
Arianna Fencl,
Math
Erroyl Foster
Student Support
Specialist
Stephanie
Jefferson, Special
Ed
Helen Drake
Student Support
Specialist
Social Work
internship
Students
Michael Kersjes
Military Liasion
Celina Tintori
M.S.
Bilingual
7
HCS Provides Diverse Resources to Intervene
with At-Risk Students
Student Welfare
Specialist
The Winning
Foundation Mentoring
Program
Alabama Association
of Prevention
Attendance and
Support Services
Parent Education
Support
Juvenile Court
Referee
Student Welfare
intervention efforts to
assist students and schools
with Attendance
Family
Involvement home
visits
211 Services
Equity cultural
responsive education
Military Liaison
Homebound Teachers
Attendance Policies and
Regulations
School Social Worker
Problem Solving
Teams
Weekly
Attendance
Monitoring
8
Alabama Has a Compulsory Attendance Law

Section 16-28-13: Every child between the ages of six and 17
years shall be required to attend a public school, private
school, church school or be instructed by a competent private
tutor for the entire length of the school term in every
scholastic year

Section 16-28-12: Requires that any parent/guardian who
enrolls a student in school be responsible for the students’
regular attendance and proper conduct. It also provides that a
parent may be fined $100.00 and receive up to 90 days in jail.

Section 12-15-15: Parent may be fined $500.00 and receive up
to one year of hard labor if convicted of parental neglect;
contributing to the delinquency of a minor; or if the child is
found to be a child in NEED OF SUPERVISION. They may also be
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required to pay restitution to the B.O.E
HCS Uses Progressive Intervention for Truant
Students
Petition
Level
7-10 AU
Juvenile Court
Referee
District Level
3rd-5TH AU
(Phone call, letter, home-visit,
Conference, Alignment of Resources
and
Early Warning Court
School level intervention
(Phone call from school to parent after 1st and 2nd
Absence, referral to Student Services after 3rd AU
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HCS Collaborates with Madison County
Truancy Court
• Communication and collaboration in a strength-based
problem solving arena
• Identification of the problem/intervention
• Accountability (students/school/family)
• Knowledge of truancy laws
• Resolution
• Truancy Reduction
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HCS Student Welfare and Social Services was Actively
Involved in Student Intervention During the 2014-15
School Year
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Phone Calls
Home Visits
School Visits
Probation Conferences
Services for Parents
Early Warnings Served
Truancy Court Cases
Juvenile Court Cases
Other Contact
Referrals from schools
9,841
701
1,058
900
742
1,413
162
63
7,386
4,733
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