York County Truancy Prevention Initiative:

With truancy as a leading factor preventing children’s success in school, graduation from high school, and merger into society as productive members of society, the York County Truancy Prevention Initiative aims to assure that elementary and middle school students are prepared to succeed in later grades, and make sure that young adults make a successful transition from high school to work life, two of United Way’s priorities in Education.  The mission of the York County Truancy Prevention Initiative is to reduce the truant population in York County by establishing a protocol for improved communication, instituting a consistent response to the issues, and initiating interventions.  As a program of the United Way of York County, the York County Truancy Prevention Initiative ultimately serves all school-aged youth in York County, by establishing itself as a clearinghouse for what works to prevent truancy and dropout, staying current on national education policy research, and finding ways to enhance York County’s provision of truancy prevention programs using best practices research.

• Youth Court Alliance: The goal of the Youth Court Alliance is to re-engage truant students in school and divert these students and their families from entering the Magisterial District Court for truancy hearings.  The York County Truancy Prevention Initiative ultimately aims to open a Youth Court in each ninth grade in York County.  This initial Youth Court Alliance will start at William Penn Senior High School in the School District of the City of York, where upperclassman will go through months of training to serve as lawyers, judges, bailiff, and most importantly as jurors who will provide dispositions aimed at reconnecting the truant ninth grade youth to their school.  Dispositions include jury duty and social action projects.
• Check& Connect: This evidence-based, targeted intervention consists of four components:
•  a mentor who works with students and families for a minimum of two years,
• regularly checking on the school adjustment, behavior and educational progress of the students
•  intervening in a timely manner to re-establish and maintain the student’s connection to school and learning and to enhance the students social and academic competencies, and
• partnering with families
• Re-Engagement Center:  York County Truancy Prevention Initiative is working with partners to establish four Re-Engagement Centers around York County that would connect individuals fifteen and older who are out of school or in school and struggling, to a high school diploma, GED, or academic skills program.  The concept of these centers is to outsource to already existing resources that would then provide the education and means to attain a high school diploma, GED, and access to post-secondary options.