EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
District/School Attendance Procedures
(Reviewed and Adopted by DLT on 12-16-10)
Revisions: 9/19/11, 10/18/13
Reviewed by EPS/DLT: October 2014
Updated on July 27, 2016
INDEX
SECTION 1: Lawful vs. Unlawful Absences Pages 3-4
(including Definitions)
SECTION 2: Daily Entry of Attendance Page 5
SECTION 3: Ten (10) Day Rule Page 6
SECTION 4: Daily Contact Requirements when Students are Absent Pages 7-9
SECTION 5: School Attendance Committees – Responsibilities Page 10
Maximum number of makeup days Page 10
Maximum number of missed days to receive failing grade Page 11
SECTION 6: Credit Recovery/Course Credit: (High Schools Only) Pages 11-12
SECTION 7: LEA Responsibilities – Compulsory Attendance Page 13
Teacher Responsibilities – Compulsory Attendance Pages 13-14
Social Worker Responsibilities – Compulsory Attendance Page 14
Principal Responsibilities – Compulsory Attendance Pages 14-16
SECTION 8: Appeals Page 16
ATTACHMENT 1: Steps for Principals to File Petition with Court Page 17
ECPS Attendance Procedures
Attendance in school is central to education achievement and school success. School attendance is required by state law (G.S.115C-378) for all children between the ages of seven (7) and sixteen (16), and for children between the ages of two (2) and seven (7) who are enrolled in school. Regular and consistent attendance for all students is essential for receiving maximum benefits of the instructional school day.
SECTION 1
Unlawful vs. Lawful Absences: The Principal (or designee) will be responsible for collecting notes/reasons for absences and for determining which absences will be changed from unexcused (the default) to excused. Official documentation for excused absences (doctor’s notes, subpoenas, etc.) shall be collected when possible. Parents/students should bring in notes/reasons for absences to the Principals office within three (3) days of return to school (but preferably on the first day of return to school).
If the Principal (or designee) decides that an unlawful absence should be changed to a lawful absence, the change will then be made in PowerSchool by the PowerSchool Data manager. All notes/reasons for absences should be kept on file for review if needed. Principals will monitor the collection and entry of excused absences in their school.
The State’s definitions for valid/lawful excuses for temporary non-attendance of a student at school are as follows:
(1) Illness or injury: when the absences results from illness or injury that prevents the student from being physically able to attend school. When possible, schools should collect the official doctor’s note for illness/injury.
(2) Quarantine: when the absence results from the isolation of the student as ordered by the local health officer or by the State Board of Health.
(3) Death in the Immediate Family: when the absence results from the death of a member of the immediate family of the student. For the purpose of this regulation, the immediate family of a student includes, but is not necessarily limited to, grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters. Three to five (3 to 5) days is the typical amount of time a student would be out of school for the death of an immediate family member; however, family situations may warrant exception and are at the discernment of the Principal.
(4) Medical or Dental Appointments: when the absence results from a medical or dental appointment of a student.
(5) Court or Administrative Proceedings: when the absence results from the attendance of a student at the proceedings of a court or an administrative tribunal, if the student is a party to the action or under subpoena as a witness.
(6) Religious Observance: when the absence results from attendance at a religious observance or service where the tenets of a religion to which the student or his/her parent(s) adhere require or suggest such attendance.
(7) Educational Opportunity: when the absence results from a demonstrated purpose of taking advantage of a valid educational opportunity, such as travel. Approval for such an absence must be granted prior to the absence. (16 NCAC 2D.0404)
(8) Local School Board Policy. The principal may excuse temporary or occasional absences for other
reasons in accordance with board policies, provided that the student has been in attendance for at least
one-half of a school day during the current school year
(9) Deployment Activities: when the absence results from the student’s attendance at official deployment ceremonies or activities when the student’s parent is a deploying member of the U.S. Armed Forces.
SECTION 2:
Daily Entry of Student Attendance in PowerSchool/PowerTeacher:
The Principal must assure adherence to attendance rules and regulations and notify parents of their responsibility under the Compulsory Attendance Law. Teachers must monitor and report student absences.
Attendance for classrooms with substitute teachers will be completed by the PowerSchool Data manager by the end of the school day. Any schools with an in-school suspension program should distribute the names of student(s) attending the program daily so that the classroom teachers can count the student(s) present at school.
Entry for Elementary/Middle Schools:
Attendance in our elementary and middle schools should be entered by 9:30 a.m. each day.
Entry for High Schools:
High School attendance should be entered during the 1st fifteen minutes of each class period.
Principals and PowerSchool Data managers should review attendance reports in PowerSchool on a daily basis to identify teachers not following entry expectations. PowerSchool Data managers should also reconcile any late arrivals (sign in log in office) to teacher absentee reports.
SECTION 3:
Ten (10) Day Rule:
The State Board of Education’s Ten Day Rule states that when a student accumulates more than ten consecutive days of unlawful absences, he/she is to be withdrawn from funded membership as of the first day following his/her last day in attendance. The PowerSchool software automatically handles the administration of the Ten Day Rule. The software functions are as follows:
n On the eleventh consecutive day of an unlawful absence, the student in violation of the rule will no longer be counted in the calculation of ADM as of the first day of absence. However, he/she will continue in membership and will be counted as absent from school.
n If and when the student returns to school, he/she is simply to be counted present for the days of attendance. Beginning on the first day of attendance, the student will once again be counted in the calculation of the school’s ADM.
n Students under age 16 who are unlawfully absent for more than 10 consecutive absences are not to be withdrawn until their whereabouts are known or it is determined that they have left the attendance area. If and when the Principal has determined that the student has withdrawn from school, the withdrawal is to be posted on the first day after the student’s last day in attendance.
NOTE: Any students removed from membership but still enrolled will show up on the Principal’s Monthly
Report (PMR) as students in violation.
n If the student is in violation of the Ten Day Rule on the last day of the school year, the PowerSchool software requires that, before submission of the Month 09 PMR, action must be taken to withdraw the student from membership on the first day after his/her last day in attendance.
Absences caused by out-of-school suspension are considered neither lawful nor unlawful. Consequently, they are not a factor in the administration of the Ten Day Rule.
SECTION 4:
Student Absences (Minimum Contact Requirements) – DAY BY DAY REQUIREMENTS:
(Daily Absences in one semester)
Day 1: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
Day 2: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
Day 3: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
Teachers will make contact with parents/guardians regarding the absences and missed school work.
Each teacher is asked to maintain a Parent/Guardian Contact Log.
Days 4 – 5: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
Day 6: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
A letter is generated from PowerSchool and sent to the parent/guardians.
The teacher will make a referral to the school Attendance Review Committee (see Days 7-9
requirements below and Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC) guidelines on page 7 for
more information). A copy of the teacher’s Parent/Guardian Contact log should be submitted
with the referral.
Days 7 – 9: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
Each school’s PowerSchool manager should print Attendance reports for the Principal and Attendance team to monitor on a daily basis. The school’s Attendance team may be the SSMT team or may be a new team developed by the school for the purpose of monitoring student absences (called the Student Attendance Review Committee or SARC). The SARC or SSMT (which includes the Principal or an administrator representative) will meet on each student who has missed more than six (6) days of school to discuss additional strategies for improving attendance and for making up missed school work. The Parent/Guardian is invited to attend the meeting. The SARC or SSMT will monitor attendance reports available through PowerSchool to determine which students fall into the 7-9 days absent category, but student requests and teacher referrals will also be accepted for review.
Discussion and recommendations are documented, reported to the SSMT if a separate team, and kept in student’s cumulative folder.
SARC or SSMT Chair will make contact with the Principal and the school’s Social Worker to help them develop a better understanding of the student’s situation and the school interventions that have occurred.
Beginning with the 2011-12 school year: The maximum number of days a student is allowed to make up will be __10 days per semester_ (This applies to all grade spans).
(This will require that the SARC or SSMT meetings occur a minimum of every two weeks to review student absentee cases).
Day 10: Each school will utilize the daily upload feature in CONNECT-ED to make contact with
parents/guardians of absent students (daily).
A letter is generated from PowerSchool and sent to the parents/guardians.
Once a student reaches 10 accumulated unexcused absences in a school year, the Principal (after
investigating the situation) begins preparations to report parents/guardians to the District Attorney and
the Director of Social Services. (see Principal Responsibilities – pages 13-15)
SECTION 5:
School Attendance Review Committee (SARC) or Student Support Management Team (SSMT):
NOTE: A school may elect to utilize its SSMT committee instead of establishing a new team – this is a school decision.
Every school will develop a School Attendance Review Committee (7 to 8 member interdisciplinary team) or utilize its SSMT to review cases where a student has missed more than six (6) days of school in one semester. In addition to reviewing individual truancy cases, this committee will also help develop school wide intervention strategies to improve student attendance. This committee can also help to develop school wide incentives for students who have high attendance.
Students will be allowed two days to prepare makeup work following an absence for each day absent. The days will begin on the day following the first day back at school. This includes makeup of major quarterly or semester tests when the absence was caused by a short term suspension from school.
Teachers should make every effort to help students when it is known in advance that the student may be absent.
Direct contact between the teacher and the student is an essential component of good classroom instruction and makeup work cannot fully substitute for this contact. In addition to makeup assignments for absent students, parents should plan for additional instruction beyond the school day to assure comprehension.
Beginning with the 2011-12 school year: The maximum number of days a student is allowed to make up will be __10 days per semester_ (this applies to all grade spans).
Beginning with the 2011-12 school year: Any student (K-12) with a passing average who has more than ten (10) absences in any one-semester course and twenty (20) absences in any year long course shall receive a failing grade of 59 for that subject, barring extenuating circumstances.
SECTION 6:
Buy Back (High Schools Only):
The “buy back” program in high schools will occur after regular school hours with a tutorial component included along with the seat time requirement. Each school’s Attendance Committee (SARC or SSMT) will review requests for participation in the “buy back” program and will make a recommendation to the Principal as to which students should be allowed to participate.
It is the expectation that all teachers will provide after school tutorial one day a week as part of their normal schedule. Detailed Attendance rosters will be kept by each high school offering “buy back” (including start and end time for each buy back session) – which should be approved by the Principal at the end of each month with a copy submitted to the Director of Secondary Services each month. A copy of the attendance roster should also be provided to the school’s Athletic Director.
Principals should ensure that all credit recovery programs provide rigorous learning opportunities for students – not just seat time.
Credit for High School courses:
(1) Any student with a passing average who has more than ten (10) absences in any one-semester course and twenty (20) absences in any year long course shall receive a failing grade of 59 for that subject, absent extenuating circumstances. Days missed because of late enrollment may be reviewed by the Superintendent to determine if days absent will be considered in the total days absent. A student failing his/her grade because of excessive absences may be considered for summer school enrollment due to extenuating circumstances.
(2) If a student is short-term suspended and that suspension happens to fall into two different grading periods, the suspension shall only count toward grade changes due to absences in one of the grading periods. The grading period in which the suspension shall count toward grade changes due to absences shall be chosen on the basis of what is most beneficial to the student.