PARENTS ON GUARD: PREDICTORS TO IMPROVED ATTENDANCE AND

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS

I. SITUATION
Student attendance is one variable that has a significant impact on student
achievement. Absenteeism is not only an indicator of low academic achievement but also
a strong indicator of diminished social and life success (Williams, 2010). Absenteeism
makes it difficult to create a solid foundation in terms of discipline and sense of
responsibility. Therefore, it leads to problems in work and discipline habits in future work
life (Pehlivan, 2006). This leads to potential consequences, such as unemployment or low
income and inability to work at a regular job (Eastman et al., 2007; Gentle-Genitty,
2008).
Moreover, as absenteeism increases, students are inclined to experience
psychological problems such as depression or behavioral disorders. They may also
exhibit behavioral patterns such as becoming involved in violence inside and outside of
the school, teenage pregnancy, quitting school and acquiring harmful habits (Gottfried,
2009; Eastman et al., 2007; Lannegrand-Willems et al., 2012; Sinha, 2007; Williams,
2001; Robinson, 2009; Gentle-Genitty, 2008; Jeter, 2011; Casserly, Carpenter & Halcon,
2001). In other words, absenteeism for young people is considered as a predictor of
academic failure and leads to many other risk factors. If no measures are taken,
absenteeism may be the beginning of a process ranging from academic failure to
dropping out of school.

In Kamora National High School, there is an alarming rate of attendance

irregularities such as absenteeism, skipping classes and tardiness among Junior High
School students. Records from the guidance office disclosed that in a day, an average of
11 students are absent, 23 skipped from their classes while 21 students are late in
attending flag ceremony.

Table 1. DROP-OUT RATES AND NUMBER OF DROPOUTS BY GENDER THE PAST

THREE YEARS

School year
2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Indicator
Dropout Rate 4.65% 3.9% 5.4%
M F T M F T M F T
First Year 7 0 7 4 2 6 8 0 8
Second Year 6 4 10 5 1 6 6 0 6
Third Year 4 1 5 4 1 5 6 3 9
Fourth Year 2 2 4 1 3 4 4 3 7
Totals 19 7 26 14 7 21 24 6 30

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 Most of these truant students are males from first to second year classes. Based on
the records of the Guidance Counselor Designate, the common cause of truancy among
students are unprecedented weather in which Kabayan is prone to floods and landslides.
Second is the influence of their peers and the transferees from other schools. They
influenced the vulnerable students to cut classes or get absent twice or three times a
week. Because of this influence, the students eventually loss interest in going to school.
Lastly, other causes of absences of students are illnesses, doing household chores, the
distance from their houses to the school and attending occasions such as weddings and
the like.

Below is the table of the school’s performance rate for the last three years. It was
shown in the table that the cohort survival rate was high in school year 2016-2017,
however, it decreased in the preceding year. Similar pattern is likewise reflected in the
retention rate of the Junior High School. from the table that Mathematics has the lowest
MPS, followed by Science and English subjects. It was inferred by the teachers that one
reason for this low result is caused by the frequent absences of truant students because
they were not able to comprehend and assimilate all the competencies required of the
subjects and they could not beat the deadline of submission of requirements or others do
not submit any requirement at all. Remedial classes are being conducted but still others
are not attending. These truant students do not realize the consequences of their
absences, thus it is critical to inform and remind them through counseling.

Therefore, this calls for a discovery of appropriate interventions that could

improve the performance of our students and the delivery of lessons by the teachers.

Table 2. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS

Indicators SY 2015-2016 SY 2016-2017 SY 2017-2018
Cohort Survival Rate 83.93% 94% 85.89%
Retention Rate
(Junior High) 94.93% 94% 85.89%

II. PROBLEM

Kamora National High School students have significant truancy rate and low
academic performance.

Probable Causes:
1. Poor guidance and counseling approaches of teachers and parents.
2. Frequent absenteeism of students,
3. Poor participation of parents/guardians in the academic activities of
their children,
4. Lack of interest of students in the subjects due to lack of creative
strategies and approaches that motivate them.

III. GENERATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

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 The researcher planned parents involvement in counseling in monitoring their
children’s activities as interventions that would enhance the performance of the truant
students for the school year 2019-2020. The results of the attendance and performance of
the two groups will be compared to that of last year’s attendance and performance.
Parents guarding their students will be monitored by the assigned teachers while
counselling of this students shall be done when they incur absences, skipping from their
classes or tardiness by the guidance counselor and the parents concerned.

Poor study habits, peer influence, emotional problems, lack of motivation and
counseling approaches of teachers and parents are the most common reasons why these
students lack interest in going to school. Thus, this research will utilize parents who will
be guarding and monitoring their children with regard their attendance and school
activities. The second and third grading results and the records of the Guidance
Counselor will be the bases in identifying the beneficiaries of this study. There will be
varied forms that will be accomplished to track the attendance and performance of these
truant students.
The role of the researcher will be to facilitate and monitor the progress of the
identified truant students in terms of their regular attendance in the class and their
academic performance. The researcher will likewise monitor the parents on how are the
interventions being conducted.

The study is based on the concept of Clark (2008) that student's parent has a
significant impact on his attendance in school. Research indicates the following reasons
for student absenteeism arising from the family: family's socio-economic level; family's
need for student to work; parenting skills; psychological problems; support or neglect;
alcohol or drug problems; criminal (McCluskey et al., 2004; Clark, 2008; Reed, 2000);
the lack of consistency; inter-parent conflicts; family structure, such as a single parent;
interest or control level for the student's behavior; parents have low education level;
negative past school experiences; lack of participation in school or not understanding
procedures; and not providing environment for the student to do homework (Corville-
Smith, Ryan Adams, & Dalicandro, 1998 ; Rood, 1989; Corley, 2012; GentleGenitty,
2008, Eastman et al., 2007, 2007; Reed, 2000).

The primary responsibility of parents is to ensure their children regularly attend

school. Conditions at home have a significant impact on children’s attendance and on
their promptness. Poor family control and lack of persistence is perhaps one of the
most important factors behind school absenteeism (Pehlivan, 2006). Family control
can be defined as parents' knowledge about their child's activities, friends and the
information regarding his whereabouts (Cetin & Cok, 2011). Disinterested families
are often seldom concerned with their children’s success or failure. They do not help
in solving the problems at school and they rarely attend parent-school meetings.
These families are unlikely to create a disciplined environment for children at home
(Hallam & Rogers, 2008). According to Williams (2001), today's high school students
are controlled less than their parents were in the past. As well as lack of control and
lack of monitoring, some parents ignore the excuses with less than a valid reason. In
so doing, they are supporting and justifying the absenteeism.

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IV. PLAN OF ACTION

A. Objectives

a. To find out if parents on guard is effective in improving the attendance of

truant students in class.

b. To determine if parents on guard will improve the academic performance

of truant students.

c. To present the findings of the study and gain the support of administrators
towards this program.

B. Time Frame
This study will be conducted during the school year 2019-2020 for the
second quarter to the third quarter.

C. Target Subjects

The target subjects of the study will be the truant students from the
different year levels in Kamora National High School for the school year 2019-
2020.

D. Activities to be undertaken

Target Persons Activities Expected Results

Students Involved
Teachers, 1.Use of parents on guard in preventing the
Guidance students from getting absent, skippin and late
Truant Councilor, and in enhancing their academic performance The 95% of the Truant
Students Parents trough the following procedure: students will improved
a. Orientation on proper guarding of parents in their class attendance.
monitoring their children and proper counseling
on the use of guidance tools. The truancy rate will
b. Counseling sessions by the parents and decrease from that of last
guidance counselors. school year.
c. Constant monitoring of the activities of
parents by the researcher.
d. Evaluate outcomes of intervention.
2. Determine the mastery learning of students Increased
by quarterly examinations. conceptualization and
assimilation
3. Determine the effectiveness of parents on
guard by comparing the: Improved academic
a. The attendance rate and grades of the truant performance based on
students last year and this school year. the grades of truant
c. and Examination/quiz results students

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E. Evaluation Criteria

Seventy five percent (95%) of the identified truant students will improve
their class attendance and academic performance from that of last school year’s
rate.

V. RESEARCH DESIGN:

This study will utilize the parallel equivalent group experimental design to
look into the effectiveness of the parents on guard in improving the attendance
and academic performance of truant students .

The activities to be undertaken, the data to be collected and the statistical

treatments to be used by the researcher are shown as follows:

Data Analysis and

Activities Data to be collected Statistical Treatment

1. Determine the attendance rate of truant First to third quarter Attendance rate
students before and after intervention (parents of school year 2019- through averaging
on guard). 20120
Attendance of truant
students for the first
to third quarter of
school year 2018-
2019

2. Determine the academic performance of Second to third Academic

students before and after intervention (parents grading grade for performance of
on guard) school year 2019- students through
20120 GWM

Second to third
grading grade for SY
2018-2019

2.a. Determine the significant difference in the Monthly attendance t-Test of

attendance rate of truant students before and rate Correlated means
after the intervention
t-Test for
2.b. Determine the significant difference of
academic performance of truant students before
independent
Results of quarterly samples
and after intervention
examinations

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VI. REFERENCES

Williams, L. B. (2010). Investigating truancy in secondary schools. Doctoral Dissertation

University of the Incarnate Word, UMI Number: 3455577. Williams, L. L.
(2001). Student absenteeism and truancy: technologies and intervention.

Pehlivan, Z. (2006). Resmi genel liselerde öğrenci devamsızlığı ve buna dönük okul
yönetimi politikaları (Ankara İli Örneği), (The absenteeism at state secondary
schools and related school management policies) , Yayımlanmamış Doktora
Tezi, Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi.

Eastman, G.; Cooney, S. M.; O’Connor, C., &Small, S. A. (2007). Finding effective
solutions to truancy. Research To Practice Series, 5, University of Wisconsin.

Casserly, K. R., Carpenter, A. S., & Halcón, L. (2001). Adolescent parenting:

relationship to school attendance and achievement. The Journal of School
Nursing, 17, 329-335.

Gentle-Genitty, C. S. (2008). Impact of schools’ social bonding on chronic truancy:

perceptions of middle school principals. Doctoral Dissertation, Indiana
University, UMI Number: 3344573.

Eastman, G.; Cooney, S. M.; O’Connor, C., &Small, S. A. (2007). Finding effective
solutions to truancy. Research To Practice Series, 5, University of Wisconsin.

Lannegrand-Willems, L.; Cosnefroy, O., &Lecigne, A. (2012). Prediction of various

degrees of vocational secondary school absenteeism: Importance of the
of the educational system. School Psychology International, 33(3),
–307.

Robinson, L. B. (2009). High school students' perceptions of supports for and barriers
to completion of the stay in school truancy prevention program. Doctoral
, Sam Houton State University. UMI Number: 3371325.

Sinha, J. W. (2007). Youth at risk for truancy detour into a faith-based education
program: their perceptions of the program and its ımpact. Research on Social
Practice, 17(2), 246-257.

Clark, J. G. (2008). Examining truancy board effectiveness in countering student

absenteeism in grades K-5 in three title I schools in Northeast Tennessee.
Dissertation, East Tennessee State University, UMI Number: 3308020.

McCluskey, C. P.; Bynum, T. S., &Patchin, J. W. (2004). Reducing chronic

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absenteeism: an assessment of an early truancy initiative. Crime &
Delinquency, 50 (2), 214-234.