The Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

Strategies for dealing with tardiness

Question: What works to reduce tardiness?

Summary of Findings: Principals and teachers have long thought that student
tardiness was a serious

problem. In one study from the 1990’s, 8-12% of students were absent each day,
and more than 40% of

teachers found tardiness to be a significant problem. In fact, it is considered so

serious that a school’s

response can go to extremes: a student in Mount Pleasant, MI, was suspended for
writing and reading a

parody of the school’s tardiness policy, and students in one California high school
are fined $165 if they are

tardy more than twice. A Google search on “tardiness” will yield a lot of high school
online handbooks and

policies about tardiness. The question, of course, is not “what are high schools
doing?”, but “what are high

schools doing that’s working?” Many approaches seem to work, but they tend to
break into two categories:

the behavior modification approach and the needs-based approach.

Behavior modification approaches include the following: being locked out of class;
detentions; parent

conferences; additional assignments; reductions in grades; work details during

lunch, after school, or free

periods; Saturday classes; token systems for being on time; time cards; time
management workshops;

contingency contracts; and tardy rooms. Many of these strategies proved effective,
but detentions, reduced
grades, tardy rooms, and additional assignments proved ineffective at changing
behavior.

Other schools, however, look at the reasons that students are tardy and try to
address the underlying

problems. This approach is based on the idea that before a school can change the
behavior of at-risk

students, they must understand what is going on in those students’ lives. When
asked through interviews or

surveys, students indicated that they were tardy for the following reasons:
transportation problems;

overcrowded conditions; lack of positive history about people of color; lack of a

culturally sensitive

curriculum; dirty and limited access to bathrooms;; health-related causes; sleeping

habits; and family-related

excuses. Such studies often found that tardy students felt a disconnect with the
school, the teachers, or the

curriculum. From one study: “Students complained about the inconsistency of

school rules, especially those

related to tardiness and eating in school, and they noted the double standard that
allowed teachers to do many

things students were not allowed to do. They voiced concerns that they were never
given a say about

anything in the school, expressing the belief that all the rules originated with
teachers and staff, and that

student input was not solicited. When they did express opinions about school, they
thought that their

comments were not taken seriously.”

Successful needs-based strategies included the following: identifying chronic

offenders, assessing them

individually, and referring them to appropriate services, including support groups;

working with parents to

find solutions; instituting free breakfast programs; working with teachers to improve
the quality of the
instructional program; switching to Block scheduling; interdisciplinary & integrated
curriculum; and

providing opportunities for students to express their opinions and contribute to the
operation of the school.The Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

Needs-based approaches had the added benefit of not only improving punctuality,
but often academic

achievement and attitude toward school, as well.

As one study says, “… even the best attendance policy must be accompanied by an
understanding of student

motivation. Schools must look at whether alienation is playing a part in absences.

Other factors, such as

cultural values, socialization, social responsibility, academic rigor, and school

climate, must also be

considered when examining attendance patterns.”

Online Resources:

GENERAL RESOURCES

Student Absenteeism and Tardiness. Indicator of the Month.

An important aspect of students' access to education is the amount of time actually

spent in the

classroom. This brief highlights data on the student absentee rate for 1990-91. The
data were

extracted from "The Condition of Education, 1995," U.S. Department of Education,

National Center

for Educational Statistics. ERIC #: ED396461

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=
50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b80144fb8

School Suspends Student Over Tardiness Parody

September 6, 2001

MOUNT PLEASANT, Michigan (AP) -- A lawsuit was filed on behalf of a student who
was

suspended after reading a parody of his school's tardiness policy to a group of

friends in the cafeteria.

Smith's commentary, written at home, criticized the school's new tardiness policy,
the process leading

to its adoption, and several teachers and administrators responsible for enforcing it.
He was

suspended because he allegedly assaulted "the dignity of a person," the ACLU said.

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/09/06/tardiness.lawsuit.a
p/

Fine with Tardiness

For the Sake of Argument (A blog for discussing issues of important to the
“heartland of America.”)

December 02, 2003

A Whittier (CA) high school is cracking down on tardy students. Students at Whittier
High School

who arrive on campus after the 8 a.m. bell more than twice will be fined $165 by
the Whittier Police

Department, Principal Loring Davies said.

http://www.thesakeofargument.com/archives/000334.html

How Do You Handle Chronic Tardiness?

Teachers at different levels explain their solutions to tardiness. From NEA Today
September 2001,The Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/
Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

page 27

http://kcsos.kern.org/schcom/stories/storyReader$82

NEEDS-BASED APPROACH

Building Successful Students: Creating Disciplinary Policies That Promote College

A Plan for Improving Roosevelt High School

In the spring of 2002 United Students began a student-led research process to

identify the main

problems at Roosevelt and develop solutions. United Students distributed a survey

to the RHS

student body in classrooms, and collected surveys from 754 students. The student
leaders analyzed

US survey findings, RHS graduation and college eligibility rates, and two L.A. Times
news articles

which highlighted the impacts of the tardy room and the B-track policy within
LAUSD. The survey

administered by US asked RHS students their view of the effectiveness of the tardy
room, the need

for a culturally relevant curriculum, and access and support to information that
fulfills college course

requirements. US student leaders analyzed all the data to design an effective

alternative policy to the

tardy room.

http://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/tardyroomreport.PDF

Working with Students and Parents To Solve the Problem of Tardiness.

Kerrins, Judith A.; Hayes, Denver;

Middle School Journal v27 n4 p46-51 Mar 1996

Concerned about student learning, believing tardiness to be at an all-time high, and

not happy with
their current policy for dealing with student tardiness, the faculty of a junior high
school in the Rocky

Mountain area asked themselves: "What can be done about students who are
tardy?" This article

describes that process and their findings.

ERIC #: EJ600001

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b8001d656

Absentee Prevention--A Model for Intervention.

Hegner, Martha;

NASSP Bulletin v71 n496 p125-26 Feb 1987

Describes a program at Rochester School District (Pennsylvania) that determines

the needs of

students with chronic attendance and tardiness problems and works with students,
families, social

service agencies, and alternative educational programs to resolve conflicts. Chronic

offenders are

identified, assessed individually, and referred to appropriate services, including

support groups.The Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

ERIC #: EJ349137

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt
Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b8005b614

Listen to the Children: Children at Risk for Failure Speak Out.

Britt, Patricia M.;

Before educators can assess the problems associated with being at risk of academic
failure, they must

understand what is occurring in the lives of at-risk students. The focus of this study
was the school

lives of 15 high school students. Students complained about the inconsistency of

school rules,

especially those related to tardiness and eating in school, and they noted the
double standard that

allowed teachers to do many things students were not allowed to do. They voiced
concerns that they

were never given a say about anything in the school, expressing the belief that all
the rules originated

with teachers and staff, and that student input was not solicited. When they did
express opinions

about school, they thought that their comments were not taken seriously.
Suggestions for improving

the educational environment for at-risk students begin with providing opportunities
for students to

express their opinions and contribute to the operation of the school.

ERIC #: ED425254

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=
50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=51&_pageLabel=RecordDet
ails&objectId=

0900000b80094c6a

Attending to Attendance. Fastback 450.

Dougherty, John W.;

This fastback document examines student absenteeism and offers advice on what
schools can do to

improve attendance. It looks at truancy, absenteeism, and tardiness and how, since
the first days of

compulsory education, educators have had to deal with these obstacles to

education. But even the best

attendance policy must be accompanied by an understanding of student motivation.

Schools must

look at whether alienation is playing a part in absences. Other factors, such as

cultural values,

socialization, social responsibility, academic rigor, and school climate, must also be
considered when

examining attendance patterns. To improve attendance, schools should develop a

clear, fair

attendance policy, should support the attendance policy by placing a premium on

uninterrupted

instructional time, and should review and renew the attendance policy regularly.

ERIC #: ED454571

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=51&_pageLabel=RecordDet
ails&objectId=

0900000b80140eddThe Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/
Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

School Breakfast Program and School Performance.

Meyers, Alan; And Others;

Children who participate in the School Breakfast Program show significant

improvement in academic

performance and tardiness rates, and a trend toward improvement in absenteeism.

Results were the

following: (1) participants and non-participants did not differ with respect to sex,
ethnicity, or

number of children per family; (2) participants improved their CBTS score; (3)
absenteeism of both

participants and non-participants increased, but there was less increase for
participants; and (4)

tardiness decreased for participants and increased for non-participants.

ERIC #: ED297084

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b800440c1

A Four-Year Contrast between High School Students in Interdisciplinary and

Discipline-Based

Curriculum Programs: Behavioral and Academic Implications.

Cordogan, Steve;

A suburban Chicago, Illinois, high school administrator and several of her family
members initiated

an interdisciplinary curriculum in the mid-1990s. Data were gathered for 161

discipline-based and
247 interdisciplinary students. Students in the interdisciplinary program
demonstrated more positive

behaviors than the discipline-based students, as indicated by consistently lower

absence rates and

generally lower suspension rates. Academic performance indicators also favored the
interdisciplinary

students, and there was no indication of a "dumbing-down" of interdisciplinary

content. Freshman

year scores on the Iowa Test of Educational Development were equal or higher, and
interdisciplinary

students consistently had higher grade point averages. ACT college admissions test
scores were also

higher for interdisciplinary students. The attrition rate was lower for the
interdisciplinary program,

and students and teachers expressed positive feelings about the program.

ERIC #: ED461672

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=51&_pageLabel=RecordDet
ails&objectId=

0900000b8006f91f

Block Scheduling: Does It Make a Difference? A High School Case Study.

McCoy, Mary Helen S.;

To offer insights into scheduling strategies, this paper presents the effects of block
scheduling in one

rural public secondary school. Results revealed several themes: block scheduling
helped students feel

more empowered about learning, and teachers reported more empowerment in

their instructional role.
More assigned homework was being completed, and teachers indicated satisfaction
about the

demands on their time. Findings indicate that block scheduling basically benefited
all students

equally, regardless of ability level, attitude toward school, and degree of school
success. Students'The Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

tardiness decreased and their management of books, materials, and schoolwork

improved. The report

suggests that supports--materials and supplies--must be provided for the ongoing

success of block

scheduling.

ERIC #: ED420106

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=51&_pageLabel=RecordDet
ails&objectId=

0900000b8013cb8f

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION APPROACH

Maui School Fights Tardiness

At Baldwin High School of Maui, if you're late, you get locked out of class and have
to stand in line

in front of the auditorium to get a tardy pass. 3 late passes land you a spot in
Saturday school. Perfect

on time attendance gets you a chance to win a prize.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Dec/09/ln/ln01p.html
A Behavior Modification Program To Reduce Tardiness in Middle School Dropout
Prevention

Students.

Johnson, Blanche;

A behavior modification program was developed and implemented to decrease the

tardy behavior of

20 students (ages 13 to 15) in a self-contained dropout prevention class. The

intervention program

included the following components: (1) daily time card sign-in; (2) points for prompt
attendance,

exchangeable for rewards; and (3) a time-management workshop to teach new

strategies to save and

manage time. Students also designed their own time-management plans. The
program's success was

demonstrated by: a change from an average of 15 tardies per week to zero tardies
for the last 3 weeks

of the program; all students were able to identify time-management strategies 4

weeks following the

workshop; and all 20 students received rewards for timely attendance during weeks
5-7.

ERIC #: ED387985

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b80127781

Effects of Contingency Contracting on Decreasing Student Tardiness.

Din, Feng S.; Isack, Lori R.; Rietveld, Jill;

A contingency contract program was implemented in this study to determine the
effects of

contingency contracting on decreasing student tardiness in high school classrooms.

The participants

were 32 high school students. A contingency contract was signed individually with
the students in the

experimental group. Results from data analysis indicate that participants in the
experimental groupThe Principals' Partnership

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Sponsored by Union Pacific Foundation

Research Brief

showed significantly fewer tardiness counts than those in the control group, which
suggests that this

behavior modification technique can be effectively applied to decrease student

tardiness by high

school teachers.

ERIC #: ED474642

http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?
_nfpb=true&eric_viewStyle=list&ERICExt

Search_SearchValue_0=Tardiness&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&e
ric_pageSize=

50&eric_displayNtriever=false&eric_displayStartCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetai
ls&objectId=0

900000b8017a1cb

Date: 2/13/2005 Submitted By: Mike Muir, Maine Center for Meaningful
Engaged Learning

http://www.principalspartnership.com/

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Problems with Tardiness

 The most crucial learning hours of a school day are the morning hours, because they are when
students are most attentive. Students who are tardy miss the beginning of their morning classes, and they
also cause a distraction when they arrive late to class.

Read more: The Impact of Tardiness on School Success |

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6370914_impact-tardiness-school-
success.html#ixzz19mIKJdnn