Before determining the most effective means of controlling unexcused absences, the causes of truant behavior must be understood. Not only may the cause vary from individual to individual, but school staff and students may disagree about the underlying causes. Although many teachers may be empathetic and willing to help students, this difference in opinion may create a barrier of understanding between teacher and student. In one survey, students cited boredom and loss of interest in school, irrelevant courses, suspensions, and bad relationships with teachers as the major factors in their decision to skip school. Schools that invest thought and effort into solving the problem make the most headway.
Many school districts adopt a hard-line approach to reducing unexcused absenteeism.
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.