It discourages kids from skipping school by imposing penalties on parents and on the students themselves. Hundreds of kids are back in school, and the county has seen a 45 percent reduction in the district's dropout rate. Many states allow or require school systems to grade student achievement on factors other than quality and quantity of work. These schools may have the authority to refuse a student credit on homework assigned the day of absence, providing the absence is unexcused. Course credit may be denied if the student misses class a specified number of times, ranging from 5 to 20 times per term, depending on the school.
Peers have an undeniable influence on students' decision to become truant.
One study reported that 84 percent of the interviewed truants said their friends skipped school. Antitruancy programs that expose truants to other peer groups and other methods of interaction may be effective in reducing truancy. Afterschool sports or other programs at the school site give students a chance to make new friends, experience a positive atmosphere, and feel a sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, may reduce their likelihood of skipping school. The learning environment is also important to student performance. The program contacts parents of absent students on a daily basis.