CHAPTER: STUDENTS
POLICY: ATTENDANCE
PHILOSOPHY
The Calhoun County Board of Education believes that regular attendance is a requirement for the delivery of formal education to public school students. The basic intent of this policy is to promote and increase attendance by creating a positive climate conducive to learning, and committed to helping students develop responsibility, self-discipline, and good work habits and by developing a system enlisting parental support for daily school attendance by students.
REVISIONS TO THIS POLICY
Proposed revisions to this policy will be recommended to the Calhoun County Board of Education and upon approval a draft will be posted on the county web site (www.boe.calh.k12.wv.us) until a date shortly before the next regular meeting. This comment period will provide for input from teachers, parents and community members. Upon final adoption by the Board of Education, the revised policy will be submitted to the West Virginia Department of Education for approval.
ANNUAL EVALUATION OF POLICY EFFECTIVENESS
The Calhoun County Board of Education will conduct an annual evaluation of attendance data in all schools to determine the effectiveness of the attendance policy.
FULL DAY ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADES 9-12
Attendance for the full school day for all four years during grades 9-12 is important so that students obtain the full benefit from the educational programs offered in the schools of West Virginia. Therefore, all students shall be scheduled for the full instructional day for all four years. Exceptions may be made by the Calhoun County Board of Education to accommodate placement in college courses, advanced vocational/technical programs, participation in the WV Virtual School, or for other compelling circumstances.
The Calhoun County Board of Education does not foresee any compelling circumstances under which they would blanket approve students for attendance for fewer than four full years or less than the full instructional day. They will, however, consider requests from students or parents on an individual basis.
COUNTY ATTENDANCE DIRECTOR
The county attendance director shall serve as liaison for homeless children and youth as defined in W.Va. Code 18-8-4. In addition, the attendance director shall file with the county superintendent and county board of education, at the close of each month, a report showing activities of the school attendance office and the status of attendance in the county.
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
Compulsory school attendance shall begin with the school year in which the sixth birthday is reached prior to the first day of September of such year or upon enrolling in a publicly supported kindergarten program and continue to the sixteenth birthday or for as long as the student shall continue to be enrolled in a school system after the sixteenth birthday. Compulsory school attendance shall be enforced against a person eighteen years of age or older for as long as the person continues to be enrolled in a school system and shall not be enforced against the parent, guardian or custodian of such person.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
The following shall constitute excused absences:
1. School-approved curricular/co-curricular activities.
2. Failure of the bus to run due to hazardous conditions or other causes. However, if the bus runs later during the day students will be expected to attend if conditions permit. The principal will make the final decision with regard to individual excuses.
3. Medical and/or dental appointments which cannot be scheduled outside the school day and when the absence is verified in writing by the physician/dentist.
4. Legal or religious holidays with verification.
5. Personal illness when school attendance jeopardizes the personal health of classmates. Any student absent from school for three (3) consecutive days or ten (10) intermittent days due to personal illness may be required by the principal to have a doctor's statement upon re-admittance to school.
6. Serious illness in the immediate family. Absences claimed for illness in the immediate family must be accompanied by a doctor's statement that the student's presence was essential.
7. Death in the immediate family resulting in up to three (3) days of absence. "Immediate family" includes mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, or any person living in the same household.
8. College visits (Arranged in compliance with established school procedure).
9. In cases of extended hospital confinement and/or prolonged illness at home, the parents are responsible for contacting the school. Arrangement can be made for a home/hospital teacher to be assigned to the student. The home/hospital instruction program provides students an opportunity to make up work without loss of course credit. Home/hospital instruction can be provided to any student who cannot attend school because of a temporary or serious health problem as certified by a licensed physician and who is absent for a period that has lasted or will last more than three (3) weeks.
10. Other prior-approved absences are at the discretion of the principal. (Prior approval shall be determined by a parent/principal conference.)
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
Any absence not classified as an excused absence will be defined as an unexcused absence. The principal will make the final decision in a situation where the absence is questionable. However, students may not be suspended solely for failure to attend class.
MAKE UP WORK
The student is always responsible for
contacting the teacher and doing the assigned work for days absent. If class
work missed is not made up according to the makeup schedule to be provided by
the teacher or if no contact is made, the absence shall be counted as a zero.
Upon returning to school, a student will be granted one day for each day of
absence to complete missed work. For excused absences, an extension of time may
be granted. There may be no withholding of credit and/or grade unless the
student, after given an opportunity to make up the work, fails to do so.
Students that have prior knowledge of absence must get the assignment prior to
the absence.
TARDINESS
The Calhoun County Board of Education recognizes that tardiness is a problem that is disruptive to the educational setting. Therefore, each school shall establish reasonable preventions and consequences for student tardiness and publish these in their student handbooks. Examples might include attendance awards for no tardiness and detention, denial of recess/break time or in-school suspension for excessive tardiness.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE COORDINATOR
The principal, or designee, shall be responsible for collecting classroom attendance data and for making referrals to the County Attendance Director when necessary. The attendance coordinator is to implement the attendance policy at their assigned school by working with all staff members and students to improve attendance.
PARENTAL SUPPORT
The Calhoun County Board of Education believes that it is important for each school to enlist parental support for regular school attendance. When absences become excessive, the principal, or designee, shall contact the parents to discuss the consequences and/or penalties of continued absences and attempt to secure parental involvement for improvement. It is essential that parents and students recognize their responsibility and accountability for regular school attendance. In the event that problems related to attendance occur, the student shall be referred to a School Assistance Team which may recommend options including, but not limited to, counseling, interagency involvement, alternative plans or programs that are positive in nature and encourage improved school attendance.
INTERAGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The Calhoun County Board of Education will attempt to establish cooperative agreements with the Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center, local mental health care agencies and other agencies serving school age children.
APPEAL PROCESS
If a parent believes that an attendance record is in error, the parent shall submit a written request to the principal of the school asking for a review of the record. The parent must provide specific details as to why he/she believes the record is in error. In the event that the principal does not concur with the parental request, the parent may appeal the decision to the County Attendance Director.
REVIEW OF EXCESSIVE ABSENCES
When a student's absences become excessive, the student's progress should be reviewed by the principal and student's classroom teachers. Areas of consideration might include review of the student's academic progress; consideration of whether the school could develop alternative plans or programs that are positive in nature which might encourage improved school attendance; referral for counseling for problems related to attendance; referral for evaluation to determine appropriate academic placement; or referral to the County Attendance Director. In the case of five consecutive or ten total unexcused absences of a child during a school year, the attendance director or assistant shall serve written notice to the parent, guardian or custodian of such child that the attendance of such child at school is required and that within ten days of receipt of the notice the parent, guardian, or custodian, accompanied by the child, shall report in person to the school the child attends for a conference with the principal or other designated representative of the school in order to discuss and correct the circumstances causing the inexcusable absences of the child.
REPORTING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES TO THE COUNTY ATTENDANCE DIRECTOR
When it is known or suspected that the absence is without legitimate cause, the principal shall immediately make a referral to the County Attendance Director. Any student who has an unexcused absence may be considered truant and treated as such.
MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS
Each school shall maintain accurate attendance records which shall include an up-to-date register/record of attendance for every student in every class. This information will be recorded in WVEIS and will reflect allowable deductions, such as, absences that result from school-approved curricular/co-curricular activities; failure of the bus to run/hazardous conditions; excused student absences; students not in attendance due to disciplinary measures; and absent students for whom the attendance director has pursued judicial remedies to compel attendance (filed a criminal complaint or juvenile petition) due to provisions in W.Va. Code 18-8-4. Each school shall also keep accurate and current records of drop-outs utilizing WVEIS. If a student is physically absent from school, the student is to be counted absent and the appropriate reason noted in WVEIS.
INCENTIVES TO MAINTAIN
AND IMPROVE ATTENDANCE
Schools will develop
preventive and educative procedures as incentives to maintain and promote
regular attendance. Incentives might include rewards for good attendance;
individual recognition; closer home-school contact using postal cards, calls or
letters from the principal or teacher; opportunities for improved student and
student-staff communication; use of community resources; and/or creative
approaches used in scheduling classes and activities.
COPY OF POLICY PROVIDED
A copy of the county attendance policy will be provided to students and parents in school handbooks and posted on the county web site.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AS CONDITION OF LICENSING FOR PRIVILEGE OF OPERATION OF MOTOR
VEHICLE
If a student has had his/her driver’s license revoked as a result of withdrawal from school, which is defined as more than ten consecutive, or fifteen days total, unexcused absences during a school year, the students must exhibit satisfactory attendance for one complete semester before becoming eligible for reinstatement of the driver’s license.
REFERENCES: SBP 4110
ADOPTION DATE: 04/05/99
REVISION DATES: 09/03/02;
01/06/03;01/20/04