WSIPP: Publication

Report Detail
Full Report Appendix Executive Summary	January 1998
Truant Students: Evaluating the Impact of the "Becca Bill" Truancy Petition Requirements Mason Burley, Edie Harding
In 1995, the Washington State Legislature enacted truancy legislation which gives parents, schools, and courts a specific process to intervene earlier in the lives of at-risk youth and students with school attendance problems. In response to this new law, schools must file a "truancy petition" in juvenile court for students with five or more unexcused absences in one month. This evaluation reports on the number of petitions filed statewide and examines the impact of the truancy petition process in ten school districts in Washington State. A technical appendix which reviews research on truancy and truancy related programs throughout the country is also available. Document ID: (98-01-2201)

Keywords: K-12 public schools, becca bill, educational policies, evaluation, keeping kids in school, petition process, skipping school, truancy, truancy petition, truant, Education