A-Squad

A truancy sweep is a mobile team of professionals who care about the overall success of students. Teams include school administrators, counselors, teachers, support staff, community organizations, law enforcement, and more.

They conduct home visits as a positive intervention tool to identify truancy barriers, grow relationships, and provide linkage to supportive resources. Teams focus on students that are nearing the 10 absences that would trigger the sending of Truancy Letter No. 2.

Truancy Letters

The California Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as when a student is absent for 10 percent or more of school days. This includes both excused and unexcused absences.

To prevent chronic absenteeism, truancy letters and other steps may be arranged, according to state law (CA Ed. Code Section 48260.5). The SJCOE process is as follows:

After three absences: Letter No. 1 is sent to mailing address. Student and parent are contacted by school staff and notified that the student has been identified as a truant. Intervention may be arranged to assist in finding a positive resolution to absences.

After 10 absences: Letter No. 2 is sent to mailing address. A mandatory Family Collaborative Meeting will be held at the SJCOE's Wentworth Education Center at 2707 Transworld Drive, Stockton, to provide resources and develop an action plan. Additionally, students at this stage will be included in countywide truancy sweeps.

After 20 absences: Letter No. 3 is sent to mailing address. Students may be transferred to an intervention site for additional support.
 

• Attendance Works: Attendance Works is an action research project, moving vertically from local environments to national policy-making. Working in over two-dozen school districts, 32 states and in collaboration with 70 national organizations, Attendance Works uses continuous quality improvement to evaluate gaps in knowledge and capacity building. Constant assessment of interventions leads to updated and new tools and approaches in reducing chronic absence.
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• Discovery ChalleNGe Academy: Discovery ChalleNGe Academy is a partnership between the California National Guard and San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) for youth between the ages of 16 and 18 who have dropped out of high school, are at-risk of dropping out, or are credit deficient.
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• Sow a Seed Community Foundation: Sow A Seed Community Foundation is to empower youth and their families with the education, programs, and resources needed to overcome social and emotional challenges so they can lead healthy, self-sufficient lives. Services include: prevention and intervention assistance, educational programs, leadership training, and community support.

• Attendance Works: Attendance Works is an action research project, moving vertically from local environments to national policy-making. Working in over two-dozen school districts, 32 states and in collaboration with 70 national organizations, Attendance Works uses continuous quality improvement to evaluate gaps in knowledge and capacity building. Constant assessment of interventions leads to updated and new tools and approaches in reducing chronic absence.
• National Dropout Prevention Center: The mission of the National Dropout Prevention Center is to increase graduation rates through research and evidence-based solutions.
• Juvenile Court, Community, and Alternative School Administrators of California (JCCASAC): Under the direction of the county superintendents, the Juvenile Court, Community, and Alternative School Administrators of California (JCCASAC) is dedicated to preparing students who are enrolled in county alternative education programs to become self-sufficient adults who lead healthy lifestyles, and are competent, caring, and academically prepared for their futures.
• California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance: The California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance organization dates back to the 1950s.