INTRODUCTION

You see it everyday around you. Students will walk into class late and interrupt the lesson. Perhaps you know the students who skip classes. How many times have you been assigned a group activity/assignment only to be stuck with the student(s) who misses a lot of school? Perhaps you notice the student who rarely makes it to school and you secretly wonder what is going on in their life which prevents them from coming to school? Have you ever wondered how much instruction students actually lose when they are sent to ISC or suspended from school? Have you ever wondered what eventually happens to students who are habitually truant from school? Are they successful adults? There is a significant correlation between a history of truancy and not completing high school. The Superintendent of the Binghamton City School District, Dr. Peggy Wozniak, has asked the East Middle School Student Council officers to look at the truancy problem in our district. She is interested in hearing your opinion and possible solutions to this troubling dilemma.

TASK

Your task is to research this problem and try to come up with real solutions the BCSD can implement. The Superintendent is asking you to present your findings in a succinct, yet powerful way. Using iMovie, iPhoto and Garageband, you will create a multimedia presentation explaining the problem of truancy in general (as a nationwide issue in education) and in our district. When you have explored truancy thoroughly you will try to come up with practical ways to help the district combat this problem.

PROCESS/RESOURCES

Students will work in groups, which I will assign, using a jigsaw strategy to read all of the articles and report out to each other. You will be given 5 days to sift through the information and fill out the worksheets below. The jigsaw activity will involve only steps 1 – 4. ALL students will be responsible for understanding all facets of the truancy issue; however, you will only be responsible for actually reading your portion of the jigsaw activity. You will have to rely on your peers to be able to summarize their articles so that you fully understand the information. While you will be learning as a group, your culminating project, which will be graded (see rubric below) will be done independently. One person in your group will be assigned the task of contacting the truant officer for the BCSD to obtain our truancy statistics and dropout rates. Steps 5 and 6 will be done collaboratively and after you have completed steps 1 through 4. Steps 5 and 6 are meant to spark discussion and debate. The group will ultimately have to come to some consensus on your solutions.

Once you have completed your jigsaw activity and feel confident you have an understanding of the issue of truancy and have completed the PPA, you will work independently on a dynamic presentation using one of the following applications: iMovie, iPhoto, Garageband or Animoto. Please print and review the Rubric. This will determine your final grade on this project.

· Defining the Problem Worksheet #1

· Gather the Evidence Worksheet #2

· Identify the Causes Worksheet #3

· Evaluate a Policy Worksheet #4

· Develop Solutions Worksheet #5

· Select Best Solution Worksheet #6

How Are Our Schools Doing? New York State Department of Education School Report Cards

Causes of Truancy: Article #1…Article #2

Do Parents Matter?: Article #1…..Article #2…Article #3

Risk Factors and Solutions:….Article #1…Article #2

Is Our School Doing Enough?:…BCSD Website Parent Resources….BCSD Attendance Policy

What is New York and Other States Doing About Truancy?: Article #1

EVALUATION

Click HERE for Rubric.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, students who miss a lot of school or are consistently tardy rarely do well in school, or worse yet, graduate. Parents play an important role in the success of students and their attendance. Early intervention is a key component to stopping absenteeism. Through school-wide initiatives, schools can influence a more positive outcome for attendance.

STANDARDS

Standard 1

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 3

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

Standard 5 - Technology Education

Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.