ATTENDANCE POLICY  6.200


Attendance is a key factor in student achievement and therefore, students are expected to be present each day school is in session.  Schools must follow guidelines under No Child Left Behind in order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress.  Attendance is one of the criteria set up in No Child Left Behind.  Schools must meet the approved percentage of attendance in order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress each year.  The parent/guardian or other person having charge and control of a student is held responsible for the student’s regular school attendance.


The Board shall determine annually and include in the school calendar a plan for using three (3) abbreviated school days and the procedures for making up missed instruction days.  In addition, the Board shall determine annually whether to use flexible scheduling for kindergarten students.


The attendance supervisor shall oversee the entire attendance program which shall include


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All accounting and reporting procedures and their dissemination;

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Alternative program options for students who severely fail to meet minimum attendance requirements; and

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Ensuring that all school age children attend school.

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Providing documentation of enrollment status upon request for students applying for new or reinstatement of driver’s permit or license; and

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Notifying the Department of Safety whenever a student with a driver’s permit or license withdraws from school.



Student Records and Confidentiality


Student attendance records shall be given the same level of confidentiality as other student records.  Authorized school officials with legitimate education purposes may have access to student information without the consent of the student or parent/guardian.


Other agencies that may have access to student attendance records without parent consent are:

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The Department of Human and Children’s Services

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The Fayette County/State of Tennessee Juvenile Court System

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State of Tennessee and Fayette County Education Officials only for the purpose of audits or review in compliance with federal or state laws.

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Any school or school system to which a student applies for entrance.

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The agency must acquire the needed information from an Attendance or Instructional Supervisor.  The agency must request the release of specific information.  An entire record will not be released, without a subpoena or parent/guardian consent, unless the request comes from a new school in which the child has enrolled.



Excused vs. Unexcused Absences


Student absences shall be classified as either excused or unexcused as determined by the principal or his/her designee.  Excused absences shall include:


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Personal illness;

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Illness of immediate family member; (no more than 3 days excused)

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Death in the family; (no more than 3 days excused)

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Extreme weather conditions;

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Religious observances; (no more than 3 days excused)

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Circumstances which in the judgment of the principal create incidents or emergencies over which the student has no control



An absence is unexcused until the parent or guardian sends a doctor’s statement or other legal signed document (eg. court document, funeral program) to document that a student’s absence is due to a valid reason and should be excused.  Undocumented statements (handwritten notes), with the exception of the Gateway/End of Course Testing days, will be handled as follows:  The principal has the right to excuse an absence after receiving a note from the parent/guardian.  The principal or his/her designee may sign the admit slip as excused or unexcused.  The principal cannot excuse more than five (5) days of handwritten notes per semester per student.  The document or handwritten excuse should be sent to school the next day following the student’s absence.  Documents will not be accepted after five (5) days following the absence.  Documents turned in at the end of the semester that exceed the five (5) day limit will not be accepted.


Communicable diseases such as chicken pox and pink eye, and instances of head lice will be dealt with on a case by case basis at the school level by the principal.  The principal may consult with the school nurse to determine the nature of the illness.


The principal shall be responsible for ensuring that:


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Attendance is checked and reported daily for each class;

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Daily absentee sheets contain sign in/out sheets and indicate students present or absent for the majority of the day;

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All student absences are verified;

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Written excuses are submitted for absences and tardiness;

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Systemwide procedure for accounting and reporting are followed.




Tardiness, Absenteeism, Late Arrival/Early Departure


A student must be in attendance at least three (3) hours and sixteen (16) minutes to be counted as present for the day.  Although a student is present for the minimum time required, he/she will be counted absent in individual classes.  A student who arrives late or departs early will be counted absent for the entire day if he/she is not in attendance the state mandated minimum time required.


Any student who does not sign in when late to school will be counted absent for the day.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to make sure students sign in when they are late.


Any student who signs in late, checks out early, or is absent for an entire day must obtain an admit slip from the data clerk.  The student will be required to show the admit slip to each classroom teacher at roll call before being admitted back into class after an absence.


At the principals discretion some school privileges may be denied to students who have excessive absences, tardiness, and early sign outs.


Students participating in school-sponsored activities whether on or off campus shall not be counted absent.  In order to qualify as “school-sponsored”, the activity must be school-planned, school-directed, and teacher-supervised.  Mass exodus or early dismissal or late arrival of all students or any segment of students shall not be permitted for any reason except for emergencies such as inclement weather or other unavoidable situations, unless instruction time is made up in full.(6)


Late School Bus


A student arriving late due to riding a delayed bus will not be considered absent or tardy.  However students must report to class within ten (10) minutes of the arrival of the late bus.


Truancy


Truancy is defined as an absence for an entire school day, a major portion (more than half) of the school day or the major portion of any class, study hall or activity during the school day for which the student is scheduled.


Students who are absent five (5) days without adequate excuse will be reported to the director of schools or his/her designee who will, in turn, provide written notice to the parents/guardians of the student’s absence.


The truancy board is appointed by the juvenile judge to hear truancy cases and to make recommendations to juvenile court in the best interest of the child who has been unlawfully absent for five (5) or more unexcused days.  Students that accumulate more than 10 days absent excused and unexcused combined will be considered truant.  In absence of a truancy board, approved truancy procedures will be followed which could end in a court petition being signed.


Tardy/Early Sign-outs


Tardiness is defined as being late to school or to any class.  A student is tardy if the student is not in his/her assigned class when the bell sounds to begin the school day and/or the class period.  Students that are tardy will be held accountable according to the Fayette County Schools’ Code of Conduct.  Students that are consistently tardy or consistently sign-out early (more than four (4) times during a semester) may also appear before the truancy board or be held accountable under the truancy procedures.


Credit/Promotion Denial


Ninth through Twelfth grade students who accumulate more than ten (10) absences, excused and unexcused combined during any one semester, shall fail to receive any credit for that semester.  Only five (5) absences excused and unexcused combined will be allowed for half (1/2) credit courses.  Elementary students(K-8) may repeat a grade following the same number of days absent as above. Cases may be appealed to the Attendance Review Committee at the school level.  This committee may offer alternatives for receiving lost credit.  (Students out of school on maternity leave will be excused from this clause, during the time of the needed maternity leave, provided they provide a documented doctor’s statement verifying the need for the maternity leave.)  Special education students may be reviewed by the Attendance Review Committee, but the IEP Team will make the final determination on received credit/promotion/retention.


Make-up Work


It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete make-up work in all subject areas covered during an absence.  All tests will be made up.  Other homework/class assignments may be made up or omitted at the principals discretion.  All make-up work assigned must be turned in within five (5) days after returning from an absence.  After the five (5) days, the grade will be entered as a zero(0) or minus the value of the assignment.


Suspensions


A suspension is an unexcused absence.  Students with out-of-school suspensions will not be allowed to make-up class assignments after the third incident.  They will be allowed five (5) days to make-up the assignment.  On the fourth out-of -school suspension the student will receive a zero (0) on all class work and tests during the duration of the suspension.  The only exception is an out-of-school suspension that is given five days prior to the end of a semester.  These students will be allowed to take mid-term/final exams.


Attendance and Gateway/End of Course Testing


Students enrolled in a Gateway/End of Course testing class must be in attendance to take the test.  There is one make-up test day for taking the test that is set by the State of Tennessee.  Any student who is absent for the testing date and the make-up testing date must provide a documented (eg. court, doctor statement, funeral program) statement for the excused absence.  Handwritten notes will not be accepted as an excused absence.  Students for whom the test is not a graduation requirement may take a teacher-made comprehensive final exam, that will count as fifteen percent (15%) of their grade.  The Gateway/End of Course Test or the teacher made test grade will count as fifteen percent (15%) of the student’s final nine (9) weeks grading period.  If no documented statement is provided, the absence is unexcused and the student will receive a zero (0) for the Gateway Testing portion of their end of semester grade.


If students are absent on the test date and the makeup test date, the student is to receive an “I” (incomplete) grade and the grade will be held until the Gateway test is taken again.


Driver’s License Revocation


More than ten (10) consecutive or fifteen (15) reported absences excused or unexcused) by a student during any semester renders a student ineligible to retain a driver’s permit or license, or to obtain such if of age.


In order to qualify for reclaiming a driver’s permit or license, the student must make a passing grade in half (2 classes on block schedule) of his/her classes at the conclusion of a subsequent grading period.


Attendance Hearing Committee


The attendance committee appointed by the principal is a school level committee to review extenuating circumstance which would adequately explain a student’s excessive absence from school and/or class, upon an appeal by the parent.(8)  Students who persist in truancy violations are subject to disciplinary action by the principal, the truancy board, and/or court action.


The principal shall be responsible for notifying in writing the director of schools and the parents of the student of any action taken by the school.




Legal References:


1.  TRR/MS 0520-1-3-.08(1)(a); TCA 49-6-3--6


2.  TCA 49-6-3017


3.  TCA 10-7-5-4; 20 U.S.C. ¤ 1232g


4.  TRR/MS 0520-1-3-.03(15); TCA 49-6-2904


5.  TCA 49-6-3007


6. Attendance Accounting Procedural Manual, Minimum Standards and Guidelines, State Department of Education


7.  TRR/MS 0250-1-3-.06(2)


8.  TCA 49-2-203(b) (7)


Cross References:


Extracurricular Activities 4.300


Reporting Student Progress 4.601


Promotion and Retention 4.603


Recognition of Religious Beliefs 4.803


Student Records 6.600