Family Science and Social Work professor Anthony James: 'How Ohio schools reduced chronic absenteeism'
Ohio’s approach can also be a model for states having problems with attendance, writes James in The Conversation
Family Science and Social Work professor Anthony James: 'How Ohio schools reduced chronic absenteeism'
Schools in Ohio, like other schools across the country, are struggling to reduce chronic absenteeism, which spiked during the pandemic. But Ohio may have a head start on dealing with the problem, thanks to a 2018 state law encouraging a positive approach to discipline,” writes Anthony James, professor of Family Studies and Social Work.
“This positive approach attempts to improve student behavior and a school’s environment by emphasizing prevention over punishment. The idea is to stop problems before they happen, reward good behavior and give extra help to students who need it the most,” James writes.
James, who studies the use of positive behavior interventions, was co-leader of a Miami University research team whose efforts showed that policy changes, combined with nuts-and-bolts help on putting the new program into practice, can lead to better outcomes for students. Their analysis demonstrates that Ohio’s approach can also be a model for states having problems with attendance.
Read James’s article, “How Ohio schools reduced chronic absenteeism” in The Conversation (August 13).
