Abstract

Absenteeism, alongside root causes such as socio-economic status and health indicators, is a primary driving force in young students falling short of academic goals, particularly in elementary and middle school. Determining the root causes of this chronic absence, and the mechanisms by which it hinders student achievement, is necessary to effectively fight back. Which sources of absences are preventable? Which are not? Is it better to construct a system of remediation that broadly addresses the challenges these students face, or to develop multiple smaller systems designed to more specifically target the needs of students based on their particular situation? These are the decisions that must be made to provide these students with the same opportunity for success as their peers who are not facing the same obstacles. Examining existing literature regarding third-party remedial programs as well as examples of school-system centered programs allows for a comparison to emerge, identifying aspects of each that have worked and the contexts in which they have been effective. Funding, reliance on home environments, and teacher involvement are all critical facets for development of a remediation method that helps the largest number of students to the greatest extent in catching up to their peers and getting back on track to academic success.

Keywords and phrases: remediation, absenteeism, truancy, health indicators, socio-economic status.

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 2022

Mentor

Richard Day

Mentor Department Affiliation

Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

Access Options

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

Download

Share

COinS