Mediation
C-DRUM established its attendance mediation program in 2007 in response to the critical problem of poor attendance in Baltimore City schools. Research shows that targeted, multi-level interventions are required to effectively reduce truancy in the community, and mediation is one early intervention tool a school can use to address the underlying causes of poor attendance. As an early intervention, the C-DRUM mediation program targets elementary and middle school students having six or more absences or experiencing chronic tardiness. Unlike many other truancy interventions, C-DRUM’s model is available before the truancy becomes chronic or the family has been referred to the court system. The mediations are free, voluntary, and private. Additionally, law students enrolled in the Mediation Clinic are trained in truancy mediation and have the opportunity to observe and mediate the school-based sessions in Baltimore City.
Originally implemented with funding from the Charles Crane Family Foundation, C-DRUM provided truancy mediation in several Baltimore City schools for four years. In 2011 C-DRUM received the generous support of the Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention to expand the program to three additional jurisdictions. Through a collaboration with Community Mediation Maryland, attendance mediation is now available in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Washington County, and the mid-shore area of Eastern Maryland (covering Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot counties).
For more information about attendance mediation, contact Stacy Smith, director, special projects, at 410-706-0528.