The School Attendance Mediation Program
The School Attendance Mediation Program in Cuyahoga County was formed as a result of the Ohio House Bill 410 (HB 410). HB 410 was written to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy and requires that districts have policies in place that outline interventions and strategies which support students who miss too much school.
The School Attendance Mediation Program began as a pilot program in the 2017-2018 school year due to the success of the pilot, it was expanded to include additional districts. The program was designed to reduce truancy by addressing underlying needs and problem-solving barriers. It is a collaborative effort between the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio and the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, as well as many individual school districts.
The School Mediation Attendance Program is designed to address the root causes of truancy issues through early identification, mediation, and collaborative relationships. The program targets K-3rd grade students and their families (including any sibling who has reached the threshold) who are at risk or having truancy issues as an intervention to reduce absenteeism. The mediation is facilitated by a neutral trained mediator through Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. The Educational Service Center also participates in the mediation process as a community partner to assist in linkage, navigation, and county system partnerships.
Currently, the following school districts participate in the Mediation Program:
- Bedford
- Brooklyn
- Lakewood
- Maple Heights
- Shaker Heights
- South Euclid/Lyndhurst
Truancy: Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court updated its Truancy Protocol in January 2021. The ESC of Northeast Ohio collaborated with Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court to create a Truancy Flowchart to assist school districts in filing truancy.
CLICK HERE to view the Truancy Flowchart.
The ESC of Northeast Ohio can act as a liaison between school districts and both the Court and Prosecutor's Office to navigate and consult on questions or if needing assistance in filing truancy.
This page focuses on attendance services for Cuyahoga County. Please reach out to us if your district is out of Cuyahoga County and you have questions about attendance services or how we can support your attendance issues.
Contact:
Heather Corcoran, JD
Student Wellness Consultant
ESC of Northeast Ohio
216-525-2530 (Office)
216-524-3683 (Fax)