Although breakfast programs in schools have been encouraged in school-aged children due to numerous benefits on physical and academic performance, participation in School Breakfast Programs (SBP) remains lower than the National School Lunch Program in the United States. Some studies have found that lower participation in the SBP are due to barriers and stigmas. Some studies have found that when breakfast programs are taken into the classroom, uptake of the program improves. However, the relationship between breakfast intake and academic outcomes among young adolescents remains inconclusive. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a newly implemented Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program within a large urban school district in Western Massachusetts. A secondary comparative cross-sectional analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of the “Breakfast in the Classroom” (BIC) program on middle school students’ academic performance, absenteeism rates, and school nurse visits, factors that influence learners positive experience within the school system. Data on a total of 1,897 students from seven public schools in Western Massachusetts were included in the analysis. Linear regression models showed that breakfast in the classroom (BIC) program did not have a significant effect on student academic performance, attendance, and school nurse visits in a cohort of middle school students. Sensitivity analysis on a subset of the sample of students receiving free lunch who are also participants of the BIC program, had significantly higher academic performance outcomes than their BIC peers who were ineligible for the free lunch program. Findings of the study provide important baseline data for both food services and the school board district and can help inform future studies on the impact of the BIC program on student outcomes.

In this qualitative interview study, we conducted ten semi-structured interviews with parents of children experiencing problematic school absenteeism to understand their perception of their situation, how they believe the absenteeism has affected them, and the type of responses they have received given their circumstances. The study aims to contribute to knowledge about the parents' situations and perspectives, as there is limited prior research on the topic. The few existing studies indicate that parents of children with problematic school absenteeism are negatively affected in various parts of their lives.  The empirical evidence in our study has been processed and interpreted through thematic analysis and the results have been analyzed based on crisis theory and systems theory. The results of our study indicate that the parents are in a very strained situation, bearing significant responsibility with little support. They are experiencing guilt towards their child and are blamed by others in their surroundings. Both their professional lives and social relationships are negatively affected as they lack time and energy for anything beyond the essentials in their situation. Most experience deteriorated mental and physical health, and they are forced to suppress their own feelings and needs to manage the coordinating responsibility they must take for the child's and the family's interactions with authorities and interventions. All parents stated that they need help from professionals to take over the overall responsibility for the child's interventions and that these interventions need to be better adapted to the complex issues at hand. / I denna kvalitativa intervjustudie har vi genomfört tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med vårdnadshavare till barn med problematisk skolfrånvaro i syfte att ta reda på hur de upplever sin situation, hur de tycker att den problematiska skolfrånvaron har påverkat dem, samt vilket bemötande de har fått utifrån den situation de befinner sig i. Studien ämnar fylla på kunskap om vårdnadshavarnas situation och perspektiv, då det inte finns så mycket tidigare forskning i ämnet. De få studier som gjorts har dock givit resultat som pekar på att vårdnadshavare till barn med problematisk skolfrånvaro blir negativt påverkade i olika delar av livet. Empirin i denna studie har bearbetats genom tematisk analys och analyserats med utgångspunkt i kristeori och systemteori. Resultatet i vår studie pekar på att vårdnadshavarna har en mycket ansträngd situation och står ensamma med stort ansvar och liten hjälp. De lider av skuldkänslor gentemot barnet och skuldbeläggs även av andra i omgivningen. Både yrkeslivet och de sociala relationerna blir negativt påverkade av att vårdnadshavarna inte har tid eller ork kvar till annat än det nödvändiga i situationen. Den psykiska och fysiska hälsan blir för de flesta försämrad och de tvingas stänga av sina egna känslor och behov för att mäkta med det samordnande ansvar som de tvingas ta för barnets och familjens myndighetskontakter och insatser. Samtliga vårdnadshavare menar att de behöver hjälp från professionella att ta över helhetsansvaret för barnets insatser och att insatserna behöver vara bättre anpassade till den komplexa problematik som föreligger.

The purpose of this study was to examine personal, family, and curriculum variables among high school dropouts with mild disabilities. The review of research literature on dropouts from general and special education assisted in the selection of the variables. The outcome variable (high school dropouts with mild disabilities) and the relationship to the following variables: personal (age, attendance, gender, and ethnicity); family (parents' economic level, parents' educational level, and one vs. two-parent households) and curriculum (academic credits, vocational credits, support credits, and work experience credits) were examined. The research examined the relationship of selected variables to dropouts. Dropout status among students with mild disabilities was found to be 29 percent. When age was examined, increased age was weakly associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a dropout. Increased absenteeism was moderately associated with a higher likelihood of dropping out. However, the strength of the relationship between gender and the drop out status was not significant across any of the three categories of mild disabilities. The analysis of ethnicity found that African-Americans with learning disabilities were more likely to drop out. In addition, the drop out rates for Caucasian youth were statistically significantly lower than drop out rates for other groups. Higher economic level was associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out. Increased educational level and households with two parents were also associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out among students with learning disabilities or mental retardation. The higher the number of credits, the lower the likelihood of dropping out. Dropouts took fewer credits which is not surprising since dropouts by nature have fewer credits. / Ph. D.

In recent years, the construction industry has shown a steady decline in productivity and worker morale, while experiencing an increase in absenteeism (Maloney, 1991; CII, 1982). This has had a tremendous economic and motivational impact. This dilemma coupled with the fast-paced growth of competition has led many construction companies to look for new ways to improve overall performance and reduce absenteeism. For over twenty years construction researchers have proposed various employee participation programs (EPP’s) as a possible management method to counter the decline in productivity. The suggested modern styles of management included applications such as: quality circles, goal setting, participative decision making, work crew selection, work teams, and more recently, Total Quality Management / Continuous Improvement Programs. While these past research efforts proposed such approaches, they are still not considered standard practices for the industry. Some leading edge contractors are working towards adaptation of these new management methods in hopes of leading their competition. This research studies four construction firms and their efforts to implement Employee Participation Programs (EPP’s) as part of their movement towards improving quality management. Each of the four cases utilized a “top-down” implementation approach which began with the management, executive, office staff, and supervisory personnel (company level). At the time of this study, the case companies had not established EPP’s at the field level of their organizations. The research investigates employee participation programs and their effects on absenteeism. The research utilized F-Tests (analysis of variance), factor analyses, T-tests, and regression analyses in support of its findings. The overall results show that EPP’s can have a negative influence on the variation in absenteeism behaviors. The findings indicate that the EPP’s affects over time increase as the program matures. The study concluded that employee perception of their significance and their proximity to the participation played a major role in the overall effects on absenteeism. The study found that the decision / problem environment was the single best predictor of changes in absence behaviors. Significant absenteeism trends were identified in Post-EPP measurement periods. The outcomes of this study were secured through the development and pilot use of the Employee Participation Program Profile Classification System (EPP-PCS). / Ph. D.

This study examined several competing models for the hypothesized role that organizational commitment and job satisfaction play in withdrawal behaviors. These models were tested against a null or base model from which the other models were nested. The results supported the null model as best describing the process, not the hypothesized model. The null model indicated that there was a progression to withdrawal, and that both organizational commitment and job satisfaction maintain a strong negative impact on turnover. The key variable involved in the withdrawal was commitment, not satisfaction. The reason that the proposed progression model was not supported was due to the fact that neither of these variables were significant predictors of absenteeism. The relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction was found to be reciprocal, with commitment having a much stronger influence on satisfaction. This relationship additionally served to enhanced their effects on the withdrawal behaviors. Another finding concerning the antecedents of both organizational commitment and job satisfaction was that need for achievement and motivation had the strongest total effects on both of these variables. This gives support to congruence perspective regarding organizational commitment and the dispositionalists regarding job satisfaction. / Ph. D.

Absenteeism was explored from a social psychological perspective. The purpose was to measure the absence cultures (Nicholson and Johns, l9S5) of male and female employees through the use of policy capturing (Hobson and Gibson, l9S3). Absence was split into three dimensions: Personal Health, Stress Relief, and Family Responsibility (Nicholson and Payne, l9S7). One hundred and two employees of a large southeastern university were used as subjects. They were asked to give their own opinion and their opinion of their organization's view about the inappropriateness/appropriateness of the absence behaviors in the 27 policy capturing vignettes. They were also asked to give their subjective weighting of how they used each dimension to make their overall rating. / Master of Science

Absenteeism is a costly and pervasive problem to business and society. Differences in levels of absenteeism between men and women have been found in both national data and in individual studies; however, it is unclear why gender influences absenteeism rates. Differential effects from gender on the relationship between absenteeism rates and both personal and attitudinal factors of employees were studied. Specific variables examined were age, number of dependents, distance to work, role conflict, job involvement, job satisfaction and central life interests. Job level and working conditions were held constant so that gender effects on absenteeism were isolated from other factors. An employee's age and attitude toward pay were the only factors found to exhibit a gender-related differential impact on absenteeism. It was found that both men's and women's frequency of absenteeism is best explained by motivational factors to attend work. Duration of absenteeism was best explained by motivational factors for men, while both motivational and ability to attend factors were useful in predicting days absent for women. / M.S.

This quantitative study explored the interplay among school culture, chronic absenteeism rates for English Learners (ELs), and overall English language proficiency (ELP) progress, as indicated by the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test, in suburban Virginia middle schools. Utilizing the Virginia Framework for Cultural Competency, which encompasses learning environment, pedagogy and practice, community engagement, and self-reflection, the research aimed to determine the relationships among these domains, school culture, and student outcomes. The overarching research question addressed the interaction between school culture, chronic absenteeism rates for ELs, and ELP progress. Supporting questions examined the connections between school culture and ELP progress, the four cultural competency domains and ELP progress, and school culture and chronic absenteeism rates for ELs. Data for school culture ratings were sourced from the Department of Criminal Justice Services' school climate survey. The information on chronic absenteeism rates for ELs and ELP progress came from the Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profile. Analyses employing single and multiple linear regressions were conducted on existing archival data to identify statistical significance and correlations. The study yielded seven significant findings, highlighted three implications for practice, and revealed one policy implication. The findings from this research could assist current and future school leaders in Virginia middle schools by pinpointing specific aspects of school culture that could potentially enhance chronic absenteeism rates and academic progress in ELs. Additionally, division leaders might use these insights to tailor professional development for middle school principals and other educational leaders, emphasizing the critical role of a positive school culture. Furthermore, this study could support broader research efforts asserting the impact of school culture on academic success among ELs, identifying vital cultural elements that influence student achievement irrespective of their absenteeism or academic progress rates. / Doctor of Education / Principals of Virginia middle schools are tasked with ensuring that all students feel welcome in their building, attend school regularly, and make adequate progress. This quantitative study explored the interplay among school culture, chronic absenteeism rates for English Learners (ELs), and overall English language proficiency (ELP) progress, as indicated by the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test, in suburban Virginia middle schools. Utilizing the Virginia Framework for Cultural Competency, which encompasses learning environment, pedagogy and practice, community engagement, and self-reflection, the research aimed to determine the relationships among these domains, school culture, and student outcomes. The overarching research question addressed the interaction between school culture, chronic absenteeism rates for ELs, and ELP progress. Supporting questions examined the connections between school culture and ELP progress, the four cultural competency domains and ELP progress, and school culture and chronic absenteeism rates for ELs. The study yielded seven significant findings, highlighted three implications for practice, and revealed one policy implication. The findings from this research could assist current and future school leaders in Virginia middle schools by pinpointing specific aspects of school culture that could potentially enhance chronic absenteeism rates and academic progress in ELs. Additionally, division leaders might use these insights to tailor professional development for middle school principals and other educational leaders, emphasizing the critical role of a positive school culture.

This essay is about family therapists who, on behalf of social services, providesupport to children and adolescents with significant school absenteeism. Theinterviewees in the study describe their work with the target group, the reasonsthey believe contribute to school absenteeism, the methods and approaches theyuse in their work, as well as the challenges and opportunities they see in workingwith these young people. The study shows that family therapists assess the youthand their home and school situations in order to deeply understand how to proceedwith individual treatment. Often, neurodevelopmental diagnoses are part of theadolescents' profile of problems. Students with significant school absenteeism area group who would like to attend school but feel they cannot, for various reasons.Family therapists use a variety of approaches in treatment and wish for morecohesive method materials on how to approach social work with adolescents withsignificant school absenteeism.

This descriptive survey investigated the extent of teacher absenteeism in public schools for 1980-81. The perceptions of public school administrators about teacher absenteeism being a problem were analyzed. The implementation status of twenty selected teacher absence control policies was compared; each policy was further examined for its evaluation status. The Questionnaire on Teacher Absence Policies and Techniques, designed by the researcher, solicited data for the study from 244 public school districts in the United States. Data were analyzed by district size, estimated daily teacher absenteeism rates and the number of sick leave days earned annually by teachers. SPSS subprograms provided frequencies, cross tabulations and discriminant analysis. The major findings are that the estimated daily teacher absenteeism rate of 4.8 percent for 1980-81 represents an increase from other absenteeism studies. Public school administrators tended to respond that they have no evidences of significant absence from teachers to suspect that teacher absenteeism is a problem, yet they also were more likely to express dissatisfaction with the daily teacher absenteeism rates in their districts. District size, estimated daily teacher absence rates and the policy of the number of sick leave days earned annually were found to be significantly related to the responses of implementation and evaluation status of specific teacher· absence control policies and techniques. / Ed. D.