From Compliance to Connection: Reimagining Attendance Policies for First-Generation Latino Male Students as a Pathway to Peace in Education

• In Event: Youth Empowerment, Transformative Education, and Social Movements

Proposal

From Compliance to Connection: Reimagining Attendance Policies for First-Generation Latino Male Students as a Pathway to Peace in Education
Chronic absenteeism among secondary students has historically been framed as an individual behavioral issue rather than a reflection of systemic inequities. For first-generation, Spanish-speaking Latino males in urban schools—whom this study terms GenUno (Generation Uno)—absenteeism reflects a convergence of upstream barriers, including poverty, exclusionary discipline, cultural disconnect, racial discrimination, and immigration-related stress. Too often, attendance policies criminalize families and perpetuate deficit narratives rather than address root causes (Reyes, 2020). The resulting reactive, compliance-driven systems both ignore and exacerbate inequities, limiting educational opportunity while eroding trust between schools and communities.
This study situates absenteeism not merely as a technical challenge but as an equity and peacebuilding issue. Peace in education requires schools to foster belonging, affirm cultural identity, and dismantle systemic practices that harm historically marginalized students. The absence of Latino male voices from the design of attendance interventions reflects broader silencing within education systems. National immigration discourse—such as rhetoric portraying Latino immigrants as threats—has intensified fear and instability in mixed-status households, further disrupting school attendance (Merry, 2020). For GenUno students, who navigate unfamiliar school systems, linguistic barriers, and racialized exclusion, the classroom is too often a site of alienation rather than sanctuary. In this sense, peace is compromised not only by overt discipline but also by subtle forms of disconnection.
The literature underscores five critical themes shaping chronic absenteeism: (1) punitive policy histories that link truancy enforcement to assimilation and surveillance; (2) socioeconomic and cultural barriers limiting school access; (3) exclusionary climate and discipline practices; (4) shallow models of family engagement; and (5) the promise of equity-based, culturally responsive interventions (Benner & Graham, 2011; Mireles-Rios et al., 2020; Sheldon, 2007). While research has explored Latino students broadly, few studies disaggregate by gender, generation, and language background. GenUno students remain underrepresented in scholarship, and little is known about how upstream, preventive approaches rooted in identity affirmation and systemic reform might improve attendance. This study directly addresses that gap.
Using a phenomenological case study design, the research integrates quantitative attendance data with qualitative narratives from district leaders, educators, families, and students. By combining these strands, it investigates how schools can move from “compliance to connection”—from attendance enforcement to attendance belonging. The framework brings together Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL), Equity-Centered Systems Thinking (ECST), and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to analyze both institutional practices and lived experiences. CRSL highlights the role of leaders in affirming identity and fostering relational trust (Khalifa et al., 2016). ECST provides tools to reimagine how systemic routines—such as attendance tracking, communication, and discipline—can be redesigned to disrupt inequities rather than reproduce them (Lenhoff et al., 2020). LatCrit ensures that race, immigration, and generational identity remain central to the analysis, foregrounding the voices of those historically silenced in education policy (Aguilar, 2020).
Research questions include: (1) How are urban school districts implementing equity-centered, preventive strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism among Latino male secondary students? (2a) How do GenUno students and their families experience school climate, cultural affirmation, and disciplinary practices? (2b) How do district leaders and educators perceive their roles in fostering culturally responsive practices that sustain attendance and belonging? These questions aim to bridge quantitative patterns with qualitative meaning-making, ensuring that systemic analysis is grounded in authentic narratives.
The significance of this study lies in reimagining attendance as a peace-oriented practice. Chronic absenteeism is not merely a data point but an indicator of educational exclusion. Punitive responses, such as truancy enforcement, widen the gap between schools and marginalized families, creating conflict rather than resolution. By contrast, culturally affirming mentorship, bilingual communication, and community partnerships cultivate relational trust—the foundation of peaceful school environments (Grooms & Galvez Bohorquez, 2022). Building peace in education requires dismantling compliance-driven approaches that criminalize poverty and instead advancing upstream strategies that center family voice, affirm identity, and create inclusive school climates.
Findings from this study inform how urban districts, particularly in California where attendance data directly ties to funding, can shift toward preventive and equity-centered models. The research emphasizes that improving Latino male attendance is not only an academic imperative but also a peacebuilding act: one that affirms dignity, reduces systemic harm, and creates conditions where GenUno students can flourish. In highlighting the lived experiences of first-generation Latino youth and their families, this work challenges districts to replace policies of control with practices of care.
Ultimately, this study contends that peace in education is inseparable from equity in attendance. By reframing chronic absenteeism through CRSL, ECST, and LatCrit, schools can move from punishment to partnership, from surveillance to sanctuary, and from compliance to connection. For GenUno students, regular attendance is not just about showing up to class—it is about being welcomed into a school community where their language, culture, and humanity are honored.

Author

• Alejandro Gutierrez