PENNSYLVANIA'S REVISED JUVENILE ACT (1973) REDEFINED THE TRUANT CHILD AS DEPRIVED RATHER THAN DELINQUENT, STATING THAT DEPRIVED CHILDREN INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE HABITUALLY AND WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION TRUANT FROM SCHOOL EVEN THOUGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY. THE PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH TRUANCY WAS IMPLEMENTED BY THE BUREAU TO DIVERT CHILDREN FROM THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND TO DIRECT THEM TO SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES FOR HELP. THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROGRAM WAS THE ASSIGNMENT OF TWO CASE WORKERS TO RECEIVE TRUANCY REFERRALS DIRECTLY FROM SCHOOLS, BYPASSING THE BUREAU'S INTAKE DEPARTMENT. AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO DEVELOP CLEAR CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM OF TRUANCY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SCHOOLS. SCHOOL CONFERENCES BROUGHT STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL TOGETHER, AND CASE WORKERS HELPED PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND FORMULATE A PLAN TO IMPROVE STUDENT ATTENDANCE. THESE CONFERENCES GENERATED CHANGE BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISTORTION WAS MINIMIZED AND PARENTS LEARNED THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE CHILD'S SCHOOL PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE SCHOOL LEARNED ABOUT THE FAMILY AND HOW FAMILY PROBLEMS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO STUDENT TROUBLES AND LEARNING ABILITIES. FOUR MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS AMONG TRUANT CHILDREN WERE IDENTIFIED: (1) DISCONNECTION FROM THE SCHOOL; (2) FAMILY DIFFICULTIES; (3) PSYCHOLOGICAL PATHOLOGY; AND (4) PEER PRESSURE. FURTHER SERVICES FOLLOWING SCHOOL CONFERENCES WERE INDICATED BY CASE WORKERS WITH REGARD TO THESE PROBLEM AREAS. THE BUREAU'S GOAL OF DEVELOPING A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOL PERSONNEL WAS LARGELY ACHIEVED, AND THE BUREAU WAS EFFECTIVE IN HELPING SCHOOLS USE THEIR OWN RESOURCES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IN ORDER TO RESOLVE ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS. DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM ARE NOTED, AND TRUANCY DATA ARE PROVIDED. THE ROLE OF CASE WORKERS IN HANDLING TRUANCY IS DISCUSSED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)