Eligibility for Admission:
Students must in enrolled in grades 6-12, referred by their home school district, and must meet at least one of the following conditions:
Truancy
For students subject to compulsory school attendance who are absent without valid cause from such attendance.
Chronic Truancy
For students subject to compulsory school attendance who are absent without valid cause from such attendance for 10% or more of the previous 180 regular school attendance days.
Dropout
Any child in grades 6-12 whose name has been removed from the district enrollment roster for any reason other than their death, extended illness, graduation, or completion of a program of studies and who has not transferred to another public or private school.
Potential Dropout
Any student subject to compulsory attendance and whose school absences or pattern of school attendance impedes the student’s learning or contributes to the student’s failure to meet the Illinois Learning Standards and/or district learning standards. Attendance problems may include truancy, chronic truancy, selective absences, excessive absences, or a pattern of absences or tardiness.
In assessing whether marginal school attendance problems would place a student within the definition of “potential dropout,” the student’s involvement in the education process, apparent lack of motivation to receive an education, or any continued and obvious apathy or disaffection for education should be considered. Particularly, when indication of uninvolvement, lack of motivation or disaffection are coupled with currently known individual or family circumstances that, if they remain unresolved, would be reasonably expected to result in escalating attendance problems.
Priority for selection is given to Chronic Truants and Dropouts. Additional criteria considered for admission to the program includes the student’s attitude and desire to attend and their potential to succeed.
