24 Hour Truancy Mediation Training Course November

Course Description

Kreider Mediation has partnered with Counted Present, to provide Truancy Mediation training. Mediation is a communication tool for resolving differences. Frequently, mediation is explained as a process that assists conflicting parties in arriving at a resolution that they find mutually acceptable. A higher goal of mediation is to help parties experience the transformative potential of mediation so that they may learn how to solve their problems in the future. From either perspective, mediation can also be viewed as a process—a series of well-defined steps through which the mediator guides parties in conflict.

Truancy mediation presents mediators with unique opportunities. Post-pandemic, chronic absenteeism in Texas has risen from 11% in 2018-2019 to over 20%. In the 2022-2023 school year, 936,201 students were chronically absent. Senate Bill 991, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025, now defines “chronically absent” as a student who is absent from school for more than 10% of the school’s required operation and instructional time within a school year or an enrollment period that exceeds 30 instructional days.

Section 25.0915 of the Texas Education Code, titled Truancy Prevention, provides that a school district shall adopt truancy prevention measures to address student conduct related to truancy, to include, referral to counseling, mediation, mentoring, a teen court program, community-based services, or other in-school or out-of-school services aimed at addressing the student’s truancy.

Prerequisite

Mediator students enrolling in this course must have successfully completed an in-person, live, and interactive 40-Hour Basic Mediation Course. Additionally, please note that many Independent School Districts (ISDs) require an extensive background check for paid mediators who wish to handle truancy cases. It is the responsibility of the mediator to comply with these requirements.