This booklet addresses the issues of school attendance, truancy, chronic absenteeism, and the problems faced by school dropouts. An introduction to these topics is followed by a series of questions and answers on school attendance and absenteeism. Questions focus on why students are absent from school, what they do when they are truant, how they trick parents and schools about attendance, and what social experiences and attitudes affect school attendance. Questions on dropouts examine the severity of the dropout problem and look at the major reasons students drop out of school. The parents' role in managing their child's school attendance also is considered, including parents who knowingly allow non-attendance, the parents' legal responsibility for their child's school attendance, and how parents and educators both can promote regular school attendance. Following this question-and-answer section, the steps that are taken in a case of truancy are delineated, including the student's enrollment in school, the student's absence, the return to school, unexcused absences, consultations with the parents, prosecution of the parents, continued unexcused absences, further prosecution of the parents, and suspension or expulsion of the student. Other sections in the booklet describe characteristics of potential truants and dropouts, list reported reasons for dropping out, explain how parents can help students stay in schools, explain how educators can help students stay in school, and list agencies to contact about school attendance. (NB)