WHAT IS SARB?
A Community/School-based program that provides and coordinates community service delivery to students with school attendance and behavior problems.
SARB is a multi-agency collaborative team which includes the following agencies:
- Making a better effort to meet the needs of students with attendance or behavior problems.
- Promoting the use of alternatives to the juvenile court system.
To achieve these goals, the legislation provides for a multi-agency SARB which includes the following agencies: Children and Family Services, Law Enforcement, Parents, Parents and/or other Community Representatives, Community-Based Organizations, Child Welfare and Attendance Personnel, School Guidance Personnel, District Attorney's Office.
SARB process starts with the identification of attendance and/or behavior problems followed by classroom, school site and district level interventions.
SARB is specifically charged with finding solutions to unresolved student attendance and discipline problems by bringing together, on a regular basis, representatives of agencies that make up the board.
SARB further surveys available community resources, determines the appropriateness of their services, and makes recommendations to meet the needs of referred students.
SARB seeks to understand why students are experiencing attendance and behavior problems, and serves as a vehicle to correct those problems.
WHO IS REFERRED TO SARB?
Students with chronic attendance problems and students with chronic behavior problems which have not been resolved through school and community efforts enter the SARB process. Students with 3 or more unexcused absences or truancies, students with over 10 excused absences without a physician’s note, or a student who has missed 10% or more of a school year based on total number of days in attendance divided by the total number of school days at time of evaluation. (Example: School started on September 6, the student was absent 8 days as of November 4th. School has been in session for 40 days at time of evaluation. The student has an absence rate of 20% and is in violation of the law.)
WHAT DOES SARB DO FOR STUDENTS?
SARB may do the following:
- Recommend changes in the student's program which might be unusual but necessary
- Direct the student and/or family to counseling
- Arrange parenting classes
- Facilitate a student transfer to an alternative school or program when needed
- Request assistance from other county agencies and programs when needed
- Arrange for tutoring when needed
- Recommend the establishment of needed resources
- Help students understand the importance of school, why they must attend school, and that there are consequences for failure to comply with the law
- Refer chronic attendance and/or behavior problems to Truancy Mediation and possibly the District Attorney for further assistance
HOW DO YOU GET HELP FROM SARB?
- Assistance from SARB may be requested when attendance or behavior problems have not been resolved through existing school and community resources.
- Referrals to SARB may be made by contacting the principal, supervisor of attendance, or local SARB chairperson.