Attendance & Truancy Division - Referral Process

The goal of the Attendance & Truancy Division of the Lake County Regional Office of Education and is to see that students achieve.

To make a referral, please complete the Referral Form.  Upon receipt of a referral, a letter will be sent to the parents, signed by the Director, apprising them of the law and the consequences that could occur if attendance does not improve.  In addition, an Outreach Specialist will conduct a truancy assessment and provide personal counseling and/or make appropriate referrals to the Student Support Teams or Community-based programs.  If that does not work, a hearing at the Regional Office of Education may be held followed by a court referral, if necessary.

During the 2011-2012 school year PASS received 950 referrals.  This is possibly due to the new law enacted July 1, 2011, known as House Bill 3179.  This law redefined habitual truancy as a student that misses 5% (instead of 10%) of the previous 180 regular attendance days.

As required by law, schools will report chronic truants to the Lake County Regional Office of Education through the Attendance & Truancy Division. One of the primary causes for student failure in school is poor attendance; thus, daily attendance is essential for student success.

Instructions for Completing a Truancy Referral Form
It is extremely important to complete all information on the truancy referral form. Excluding any data may delay the processing of the truancy referral and the assignment of an outreach specialist.

• Student Data: Please complete with all known phone numbers (home, work, and cell phone numbers). If student lives with one parent/ guardian, include both parents/guardians addresses and phone contact numbers.
• School History: Attach a copy of the current school attendance, grades to date and prior school history, including cumulative card. This will allow us to understand when the attendance problem began as well as identify attendance patterns.
• Interventions Attempted: Please indicate specific interventions attempted including dates and outcomes. This will enable the outreach specialist to assess the appropriate level of intervention.
• Please indicate if the student currently has contact with probation and/or court.
  

School Safety Training

In partnership with Educational Services Division and the Illinois State Board of Education’s Illinois Terrorism Task Force, we will be hosting Multi-Hazard Crisis Planning, Bomb Threat and a Student Behavior Threat Assessment workshops throughout the year.  The workshops are designed to help schools to develop effective emergency & crisis response plans.  Please check at www.lake.k12.il.us, under workshops for dates and registration.

Attendance Week – 23rd Annual

A countywide Attendance Week Contest for K-12 schools during the fall.  Recognition for the top ten schools in four categories: small, medium and large elementary buildings, and High Schools.  Information will be sent soon.  The dates are October 15-19, 2012.  Contact: Andrea Kowitz akowitz@lake.k12.il.us or 847.223.3400 Ext. 223 if you have questions.

Below are some informational materials that can be handed out to parents and students:

Educator's Guide: Encouraging Student Attendance

Parent's Guide:  Encouraging School Attendance

Parent's Guide:  School Safety

Parent's:  Be Cool - Go to School!

Student's:  Be Cool Go to School!

How to Get Out of a Gang

School Guide: Preventing Gang Involvement

Important to note:  A referral can only be made by the school.  If a student attends a therapeutic day school or you are a Community Resource Agency, then the home school district would need to refer the student.

We look forward to working with you and your school this year.  Please feel free to call me at 223-3400 Ext. 224 with any ideas, questions, or concerns.

If you have any questions regarding this page, please contact Andrea Kowitz.