2017 Truancy Summit

 Registration is closed for this event
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. The 2017 Truancy Summit will address these issues, as well as community collaborations and identifying appropriate resources. Both a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to all attendees.

Keynote Speaker:  Dr. Beshon Smith has spent the past 16 years of her professional career using the transformative power of education to change the lives of young people and136acb47-8253-4132-9d3b-c705a2074736.jpg their families. Smith joined City Schools as the Manager for the Office of Attendance and Strategy in April 2013. Prior to joining City Schools, Smith served as the Deputy Director for the Choice Program, with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. She has also served as the Deputy Director for the Urban Alliance Foundation in Washington D.C. and prior to relocating to Maryland, Beshon was the Director of Alternative Education for New Beginnings High School at Brooklyn College.

Breakout Session 1  (9:30am to 10:45am)

Implementing Pennsylvania’s New Truancy Law & Special Consideration for Students with Disabilities:  The Education Law Center (ELC) will provide an overview of Pennsylvania’s new truancy law, with an eye towards best practices for schools to use when implementing student attendance improvement conferences.  The presentation will also consider how the new law should be applied to students with disabilities who experience barriers to school attendance.

“Changing My Thinking, Changing My Behavior”- Utilizing Youth Courts to keep kids in classrooms:   In this session participants will explore successes of the Philadelphia Community Youth Court and the York County Youth Court Alliance as diversionary programs which are successfully helping students stay and school and get back on track.

Breakout Session 2 (1:15pm to 2:30pm)

Trauma. One word you never want associated with children :    We live in a world where children are exposed to many kinds of trauma.  In this session participants will explore current research on adverse childhood experiences (ACES), what it looks like “in the field”, and techniques to work with children and families who are suffering. 

Everyone, Every level, Every Time: Improving student attendance and reducing truancy is Everyone’s responsibility :  This workshop will explore the role of ‘the village’ in improving student attendance and highlight the role that every individual associated with the school building plays: district office staff, school leadership and staff, community organizations/partners and families. This workshop will also include a case study of Baltimore City Public School System’s efforts to improve student attendance and reduce chronic absence.

Preventing Missed Opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absenteeism :   Chronic absence is a national crisis that cannot be ignored. A day lost to school absenteeism is a day lost to learning. It is a challenge affecting learning in nearly every state.  During this workshop we will dive into the scope of the problem and lay out key steps school districts and states can take to turn around chronic absenteeism to ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve in school.

Breakout Session 3 (2:30pm – 3:45pm)

Engaging Parents Beyond  A Permission SlipWe often view parents as a negative barrier or halfhearted participant in the lives of their children. As our schools become the community support center for children, CIS will share some valuable insights on engaging parents, the struggle of parenting with barriers, and the positive work of some communities and schools on creating strong bonds with parents.

A Whole Child Approach to Understanding Absenteeism: Lessons Learned from Prenatal to Third Grade (P3) SystemsParticipants will hear stories from the PA Department of Education and Human Services Office of Child Development prenatal to third grade (P3) initiatives, including the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge funded Community Innovation Zones. The stories will contextualize how relationship-based, whole child approaches are working to combat absenteeism, and set the foundation for on-going school engagement.

Truancy and Substance Use: What's the Connection?This workshop will explore the four stages of use in the chemical use continuum in adolescents. We will discuss how to identify a student in each stage, classroom identification of students, ways to support them in the school environment, and how each stage could impact truancy and school motivation.

 

Questions?  Contact Sara Gray-Bradley, M.Ed. at 717.771.3808 or bradleys@unitedway-york.org

When
May 25th, 2017 from  8:00 AM to  4:00 PM
Location
441 Country Club Rd
York, PA 17403
United States
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Event Fee(s)
Truancy Summit Registration $25.00
Session 1 (choose one)
Implementing Pennsylvania’s New Truancy Law & Special Consideration for Students with Disabilities $0.00
“Changing My Thinking, Changing My Behavior”- Utilizing Youth Courts to keep kids in classrooms. $0.00
Session 2 (choose one)
Trauma. One word you never want associated with children. $0.00
Everyone, Every level, Every Time: Improving student attendance and reducing truancy is Everyone’s responsibility. $0.00
Preventing Missed Opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absenteeism $0.00
Session 3 (choose one)
Engaging Parents Beyond A Permission Slip $0.00
A Whole Child Approach to Understanding Absenteeism: Lessons Learned from Prenatal to Third Grade (P3) Systems. $0.00
Truancy and Substance Use: What's the Connection? $0.00