MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons and Michelle Fowlkes, director of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, on Thursday released an evaluation conducted by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Memphis that shows a clear reduction in truancy rates for students who participated in the District Attorney’s Truancy Reduction Program.
The study includes data on students from participating middle schools during the 2008-09 school year. According to the evaluation which was prepared by Dr. Wayne J. Pitts, prior to intervention by the D.A.’s office, students missed an average of 10.5 days of school for every 100 days. After intervention by the D.A.’s office, absences decreased to 6.8 days per 100 school days. The rate of truancy dropped even further – to 5.6 days for every 100 days – after a student was matched with a mentor.
“This study proves that with the support of adult mentors, the program’s case advocates, and comprehensive services, we can help more students stay in school, off the streets and out of trouble,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
Implementation of the D.A.’s Truancy Reduction Program is one of the 15 strategies in the Operation: Safe Community action plan to make Memphis and Shelby County one of the safest communities in the country. Operation: Safe Community is spearheaded by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission. Research indicates that truancy is a risk factor for future delinquent and criminal behavior.
The Truancy Reduction Program matches adult mentors with middle school students who have accumulated five or more unexcused absences. The mentoring partnerships are ordered by Juvenile Court in lieu of prosecution for truancy and are supervised by case advocates employed by the D.A.’s office. Currently, the program is implemented at eight Memphis middle schools (Chickasaw, Cypress, Hamilton, Hickory Ridge, Humes, Sherwood, Vance, and Westside Middle Schools). The goal is to expand to all middle schools in the Memphis City Schools.
The U of M study concluded that there is “a clear reduction in truancy rates that are specifically linked to the Truancy Reduction Program.” It also confirmed that regular contact between the program’s school-based advocates and students improves outcomes. The study explained “the drop in truancy rates following intake and prior to making a successful mentor match may be attributed to the effect of the advocates and the case management practices promoted by the D.A.’s office.”
While there is a successful rate in reduction of unexcused absences, the study also pointed out the considerable need for more mentors, with many students who have agreed to be in the Truancy Reduction Program not matched with mentors.
“We simply do not have enough volunteer mentors from the community to make this program a complete success,” Gibbons admitted.
“We are calling on faith-based and civic organizations, as well as local businesses, to step up and provide mentors,” said Fowlkes. She also noted the need for additional funds to support the mentor recruitment efforts by the D.A.’s office and Operation: Safe Community.
To read the full report on-line, and to download an application to become a mentor, please go to www.scdag.com or call program director Harold Collins at 901-545-5900.