Date of Award

8-1-1976

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.)

Department

Educational Administration and Supervision

Abstract

Poor student attendance is one of the greatest problems facing most schools in the country today. Omaha is no exception. Absence figures have grown at an alarming rate in recent years. In 1974-75 there were 180,649 absences in the eight Omaha Public senior high schools. Truants and others who are habitually absent are often considered to be non-conformers. It seems true that non-conformers, more than con formers, hold part-time jobs, own cars, "hang around," and smoke. These students also have generally lower vocational ambitions, shorter education­ al plans, and dislike school more than those who attend school regularly. Because of these factors and the large number of absences; administrators responsible for attendance in the senior high schools of Omaha felt an effort to lower this high rate of absenteeism should be made to impress upon students and their parents the importance of regular attendance. The feelings of the administrators were implemented when the Omaha School Board of Education also became concerned and put their stamp of approval on a twelve day attendance policy designed to improve attendance in the schools. The following statements were compiled from several sources and disseminated by Assistant Superintendent Rene Hlavac as guidelines for all the Omaha high schools to follow in the fall of 1975 in relationship to student absences.

Comments

A Field Project Presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Nebraska at Omaha In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Specialist in Education. Copyright 1976 Robert L. Whitehouse

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