[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 624 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 624

   Designating August 2008 as ``National Truancy Prevention Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 25, 2008

  Mr. Whitehouse (for himself and Mr. Hatch) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Designating August 2008 as ``National Truancy Prevention Month''.

Whereas public schools in the United States are facing a dropout crisis, with 
        approximately 1,200,000 students not graduating from high school on time 
        and only 70 percent of students earning high school diplomas;
Whereas truancy has been shown to be the first and best indicator that a child 
        will drop out of school, use marijuana for the first time, and commit 
        juvenile crimes by the age of 15;
Whereas the incidence of truancy in a recent national survey found that 11 
        percent of eighth grade students, 16 percent of tenth grade students, 
        and 35 percent of twelfth grade students reported skipping 1 or more 
        days of school during the previous 30 days;
Whereas chronic truants often miss more days of school than they attend;
Whereas absentee rates relate directly to graduation rates and are highest in 
        public schools in urban areas;
Whereas truant eighth graders are more likely to say they do not believe they 
        will graduate from high school or attend college than their peers who 
        attend regularly;
Whereas truancy has been found to be a risk factor for substance abuse, teen 
        pregnancy, and school dropout;
Whereas the average annual income for a high school dropout in 2005 was $17,299, 
        compared to $26,933 for a high school graduate;
Whereas it has been demonstrated that when truancy is addressed, there is a 
        reduction in the rates of daytime crime, juvenile crime, drug use, and 
        delinquency;
Whereas effective truancy reduction programs can take many forms and can be 
        implemented in many different settings, including in schools, courts, 
        and through community programs;
Whereas truancy prevention programs focused on middle grade students are key to 
        preventing future dropouts; and
Whereas truancy reduction programs are highly cost effective, reduce juvenile 
        and adult crime, and save taxpayer money: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates August 2008 as ``National Truancy Prevention 
        Month'';
            (2) recognizes the significant harm of chronic truancy to 
        the youth of the United States;
            (3) acknowledges the work being done by truancy prevention 
        programs throughout the United States to help at-risk youth; 
        and
            (4) encourages law enforcement, school officials, the 
        judiciary, community leaders, and the business community to 
        work together to address truancy.
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