A Vice Principal’s Scaffolded Approach to Chronic Truancy

As administrators, we’ve all received that email from a staff member. It usually reads something like this:

“Concerned about student. Ongoing absences and attitude are disrupting success. Spoke to parent recently; however, no change. I am sending them your way.”

Short. Urgent. Frustrated.

But while it signals a problem, it doesn’t yet tell the story.

And we know that a one-time, vice principal-delivered lecture carries very little weight. A stern conversation alone rarely shifts behaviour - and without deeper inquiry and structured follow-up, the pattern is almost certain to continue.

Too often in secondary schools, concerns are escalated in summary form: numerous truancies, hallway wandering, chronic lateness. While these descriptors signal urgency, they do not provide understanding. And without understanding, administrative response risks becoming reactive rather than strategic.

As a vice principal, inquiry must move from reaction to understanding. Before consequences are issued, patterns must be examined. Before discipline is applied, context must be explored. Before suspension is considered, progressive supports must be clearly documented and attempted.

“Missing work is not the problem. It is the signal. The work of leadership is determining what the signal is pointing toward."

This is not about minimizing accountability. It is about strengthening it. When we scaffold our response - verifying data, identifying root causes, implementing structured supports, and progressively increasing intervention - we ensure that suspension, if ultimately required, is defensible, fair, and aligned with professional judgment rather than frustration.

Below is a structured administrative framework that moves from initial report to progressive discipline, grounded in reflective inquiry rather than quick reaction.

The Core Principle

A vice principal’s role is not to “be the enforcer.” It is to move from symptom (missed work) → cause (barrier) → support (strategy).

As a vice principal, inquiry must move from reaction to understanding. Below are structured reflective categories with deeper questions that guide professional judgment rather than quick discipline.

Sample: Student Support Referral Summary - Teacher Submission

Sample: An Inquiry Framework for Vice Principals

Sample: 10 Questions a Vice Principal Should Ask the Teacher (Attendance Related) to determine whether this is:

➤ Attendance avoidance
➤ Relationship breakdown
➤ External barrier
➤ Behavioural non-compliance
➤ Anxiety/performance avoidance

Sample: 10 Questions a Student Success teacher Should Ask the Teacher (Academic Related) to determine if this is:

➤ Skill deficit
➤ Executive functioning challenge
➤ Credit risk
➤ Work avoidance tied to academic fear
➤ Need for structured recovery plan

Sample: Vice Principal Inquiry Checklist - often done in coordination with the Student Success Teacher

When student concerns are reduced to headlines, leadership becomes reactive instead of strategic. A scaffolded approach - grounded in inquiry, documentation, progressive intervention, and reflection - ensures that every step is purposeful and defensible. Ultimately, when consequences are necessary, they carry weight because they are built on a foundation of understanding, consistency, and professional judgment.