The project was initiated in response to serious problems of student absenteeism. Reception centers were established in two high crime areas of the inner city where police officers brought children who had been picked up for being out of school without proper authority. After an intake interview during which the schools and parents were contacted, the child was returned to school. Professional staff at the two centers consisted of a director, social worker, police officer, and receptionist. If the staff decided that a student had serious attendance problems, counseling and referrals to other agencies were provided. Reduction of crime was a secondary goal of the program. During the 6-month period, 1,001 individuals were seen 1,078 times at the centers. All but 20 were black, and about 80 percent were males. Social workers completed most of the intake interviews, but one center relied more on a team approach in following followup activities. More than 86 percent of the students were determined in need of additional services, and personal and parental factors were frequently related to students' absenteeism. The program was also monitored for charges of police abuse; investigations of the three complaints received did not substantiate the allegations. An analysis of school attendance rates did not disclose any discernible effect from the truancy program. Analysis of absences of participants before and after program intervention showed a decrease during the week following intervention, but this improvement was less pronounced when the 8-week periods before and after program exposure were compared. Also, an analysis of aggregate data on offenses reported and juvenile arrest showed that the program had no impact on reducing crime; however, an analysis of particpants' individual arrest histories indicated a marked decrease in the median number of arrests. Finally, the program failed to provide sufficient information for research into the causes and effective responses to truancy. Tables, figure, and footnotes are included. The appendixes contain the contract between the city and the school board regarding the truancy programs, as well as other related materials. (Author abstract modified)