Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Using Tanf Sanctions To Increase High School Graduation, Ronald Harris, Loring Jones, Daniel Finnegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The School Attendance Demonstration Project (SADP) was aimed at encouraging AFDC teens to attend school and finish high school. The project used a combined approach of the financial incentive in the form of a penalty for non-attendance, and the provision of social services. SADP tracked the school attendance and graduation status of eligible teens (n=997) in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). The study utilized a control group with random assignment. Data indicated that SADP did not effect graduations. The findings seem to indicate that atrisk teens from families receiving public assistance have on-going problems with securing an education …