2. For the tenth absence and all absences thereafter, a student s absences from school are considered excused for the following reasons:

Transcription

1 Plicy Cncerning Schl Attendance and Truancy Plicy Cncerning Schl Attendance and Truancy Cperative Educatinal Services (C.E.S.) believes that regular schl attendance is essential fr an effective and prductive learning experience fr students enrlled in its schl-based prgrams. Regular schl attendance is bth encuraged and mandated (Cnnecticut General Statute Sectin ). Excessive absences inhibit bth successful learning and the cntinuity f instructin required by students. C.E.S. recgnizes that students may ccasinally miss schl fr entirely legitimate reasns. These reasns, when dcumented by a parent r guardian will typically be cnsidered "excused absences". Hwever, absences which ccur fr n legitimate reasn will be cnsidered "unexcused" and will warrant apprpriate fllw-up actin by the schl prgram. Required by Public Act , the State Bard f Educatin has adpted definitins fr excused and unexcused absences t determine which students qualify as a truant fr state reprting purpses. The definitins are: Excused Absences A student s absence 1 frm schl shall be cnsidered excused if written dcumentatin 2 f the reasn fr the absence has been submitted within ten schl days f the student s return t schl r in accrdance with Sectin f the Cnnecticut General Statutes and meets the fllwing criteria: 1. Fr absences ne thrugh nine, a student s absences frm schl are cnsidered excused when the student s parent/guardian apprves such absence and submits apprpriate dcumentatin; and 2. Fr the tenth absence and all absences thereafter, a student s absences frm schl are cnsidered excused fr the fllwing reasns: student illness (Nte: all student illness absences must be verified by an apprpriately licensed medical prfessinal t be deemed excused, regardless f the length f absence); student s bservance f a religius hliday; death in the student s family r ther emergency beynd the cntrl f the student s family; mandated curt appearances (additinal dcumentatin required); the lack f transprtatin that is nrmally prvided by a district ther than the ne the student attends (n parental dcumentatin is required fr this reasn); r 1

2 extrardinary educatinal pprtunities pre-apprved by district administratrs and in accrdance with Cnnecticut State Department f Educatin guidance. Unexcused Absences A student s absence frm schl shall be cnsidered unexcused unless they meet ne f the fllwing criteria: 1. the absence meets the definitin f an excused absence (including dcumentatin requirements); r 2. the absence meets the definitin f a disciplinary absence. Disciplinary Absences Absences that are the result f schl r district disciplinary actin are excluded frm these definitins. 1 The Cnnecticut State Bard f Educatin plicy states that A student is cnsidered t be in attendance if present at his/her assigned schl, r an activity spnsred by the schl (e.g., field trip), fr at least half f the regular schl day. A student wh is serving an ut-f-schl suspensin r expulsin shuld always be cnsidered absent. A student nt meeting the definitin f in attendance is cnsidered absent. 2 Such dcumentatin shuld include a signed nte frm the student s parent/guardian, a signed nte frm a schl fficial that spke in persn with the parent/guardian regarding the absence, r a nte cnfirming the absence by the schl nurse r by a licensed medical prfessinal, as apprpriate. Dcumentatin shuld explain the nature f and the reasn fr the absence as well as the length f the absence. Separate dcumentatin must be submitted fr each incidence f absenteeism. Fr example, if a student is ut sick tw cnsecutive days, that student must submit the apprpriate dcumentatin cvering bth sick days. If a student is ut sick tw nncnsecutive days, that student must submit the apprpriate dcumentatin fllwing each absence. Schls shuld take steps t allw nn-english speaking parents/guardians t submit dcumentatin in their native language. Cnsistent with Cnnecticut General Statutes Sectin a, C.E.S. recgnizes the imprtance f early interventin fr students exhibiting truancy behavir. Therefre, it is the plicy f C.E.S. t mnitr schl attendance [in cllabratin with the student's respnsible schl district s as t identify students wh are truant; t enlist the cperatin f parents in reprting schl absences; and, when necessary, enlist the cperatin f the respnsible schl district in rder t change a truancy pattern that has develped.] s as t identify students wh are truant. Fr the special educatin prgram and the Reginal Center fr the Arts, this mnitring will be dne in cllabratin with the student s respnsible schl district, and when necessary, enlist their cperatin in rder t change a truancy pattern that has develped. All C.E.S. prgrams will enlist the cperatin f parents t reduce excessive absences and t 2

3 ensure that the student regularly attends schl. The Executive Directr is authrized t establish administrative prcedures t mnitr student attendance t insure the recgnitin f students wh are in the early stages f truancy and t reprt thse students wh are truant r habitually truant t their respnsible schl districts. Reference: Cnnecticut General Statute Sectin Cnnecticut General Statute Sectin a Cnnecticut General Statute Sectin Cnnecticut General Statute Sectin ADOPTED: January 21, 1993 REVISED: June 1, 2000 REVISED: September 5, 2002 REVISED: Octber 4,

4 6.004A. Administrative Regulatins Cncerning Schl Attendance and Truancy I. Definitins The fllwing definitins are prvided fr the purpse f clarifying terms within the cntent f these regulatins. A. In Attendance refers t a student wh is present at his/her assigned schl, r an activity spnsred by the schl (e.g., field trip), fr at least half f the regular schl day. B. Absence refers t any scheduled schl day in accrdance with the apprved academic year calendar that an enrlled student des nt attend schl fr at least half the schl day. C. Parent includes either natural parent, a guardian r any legal individual acting as a parent f a student in the absence f a parent r guardian. D. Student means an individual wh is enrlled at a C.E.S. schl-based educatin prgram. E. Truant means a child age five (5) t eighteen (18), inclusive, wh is enrlled in a public r private schl and wh has fur unexcused absences frm schl in any ne mnth r ten unexcused absences frm schl in any schl year. F. Habitual Truant means a child age five (5) t eighteen (18), inclusive, wh is enrlled in a public r private schl and wh has twenty (20) unexcused absences within a schl year. G. Respnsible Schl District refers t the lcal educatin agency (LEA) in which the student is fficially enrlled and wh is respnsible fr the C.E.S. prgram placement. In the case f the Six-t-Six Interdistrict Magnet Schl, this refers t Cperative Educatinal Services. H. Excused means a student s absence 1 frm schl includes written dcumentatin 2 f the reasn fr the absence that has been submitted within ten schl days f the student s return t schl r in accrdance with Sectin f the Cnnecticut General Statutes and meets the fllwing criteria: 1. Fr absences ne thrugh nine, a student s absences frm schl are cnsidered excused when the student s parent/guardian apprves such absence and submits apprpriate dcumentatin; and 4

5 6.004A. Administrative Regulatins - Schl Attendance and Truancy Pg.2 2. Fr the tenth absence and all absences thereafter, a student s absences frm schl are cnsidered excused fr the fllwing reasns: student illness (Nte: all student illness absences must be verified by an apprpriately licensed medical prfessinal t be deemed excused, regardless f the length f absence); student s bservance f a religius hliday; death in the student s family r ther emergency beynd the cntrl f the student s family; mandated curt appearances (additinal dcumentatin required); the lack f transprtatin that is nrmally prvided by a district ther than the ne the student attends (n parental dcumentatin is required fr this reasn); r extrardinary educatinal pprtunities pre-apprved by district administratrs and in accrdance with Cnnecticut State Department f Educatin guidance. I. Unexcused Absence means a student s absence frm schl shall be cnsidered unexcused unless they meet ne f the fllwing criteria: 1. the absence meets the definitin f an excused absence (including dcumentatin requirements); r 2. the absence meets the definitin f a disciplinary absence. Disciplinary Absence means absences that are the result f schl r district disciplinary actin. 5

6 6.004A. Administrative Regulatins - Schl Attendance and Truancy Pg.3 II. Ntificatin Prcess A. Annually at the beginning f the schl year and upn any enrllment during the schl year, the parent f each student ages 5 t 18, inclusive, will be ntified in writing f their bligatins t cause their child/children t attend schl. B. At this time f ntificatin parents will be asked t prvide the prgram administratr f their child's C.E.S. prgram with a telephne number r sme ther means f cntacting them during the schl day. C. Prgram Parent Guides and the annual ntificatin will prvide parents necessary infrmatin/instructins t cntact schl persnnel when it is necessary fr their child t be absent frm schl. III. Mnitring Prcedures A. Each schl-based prgram will recrd and maintain student attendance in the designated student infrmatin system. Attendance/absences will be recrded daily fr all students. Absences will be recrded as excused r unexcused. B. If a student is absent and n written dcumentatin has been received frm the parent, the prgram administratr r his/her designee will make a respnsible effrt t cntact the parent by telephne t determine if the absence is excused r unexcused. C. If effrts t cntact the parent are unsuccessful and a written explanatin f absence is nt received within ten (10) schl days f the students return t schl the absence(s) will be recrded as unexcused. D. Each schl-based prgram will keep clse cntact with parents f students having difficulty with attendance and shall make parents aware f the imprtance f regular schl attendance. Bth the prgram and parents shuld wrk cperatively t achieve this end. E. When absence is due t prlnged illness, the schl nurse will cntact the parent t discuss the situatin. If the illness will result in an absence f three (3) r mre weeks, the prgram administratr will cntact the respnsible schl district in accrdance with agency hspitalized/hmebund instructin prcedures. 6

7 6.004A. Administrative Regulatins - Schl Attendance and Truancy Pg.4 F. When deemed necessary, the prgram administratr will cnsult with the respnsible schl district t discuss students having difficulty with attendance. G. In the case f students with identified special educatin needs, the prgram administratr may request that the respnsible schl district cnvene a Planning and Placement Team meeting t discuss ptential remedies t recurring schl absences. H. Students with recurring unexcused absences may be subject t: IV. Truancy Prcedures Retentin in the same grade; Lss f curse credit, where applicable; Reductin f grade; and/r Lss f schl privileges. A. C.E.S. will wrk cllabratively with the respnsible schl district by reprting in a timely fashin students wh are identified as truant. B. Cnsistent with state requirements and the respnsible schl district's truancy prcedures, when a student age 5 t 18 is identified as truant, the prgram administratr will cntact the respnsible schl district t request that a meeting with the parent be arranged. This cntact will be made within ten (10) schl days after the child's furth unexcused absence in ne mnth r tenth unexcused absence in ne schl year. In the case f Six t Six Magnet Schl, C.E.S. is the schl district. C. The prgram administratr r his/her designee will ffer t attend the meeting and t assist, when it is deemed apprpriate, in helping t determine the reasn fr the child being truant and the parent's need fr supprt services. D. The prgram administratr r his/her designee will cnsult with the respnsible schl district in crdinating services and referrals f the student t cmmunity agencies prviding child and family services when this is deemed apprpriate. E. If unexcused absences cntinue, the prgram administratr will request that the respnsible schl district cnvene a Planning and Placement Team meeting t discuss recurring absences and ptential remedies. F. If the parent r ther persn having cntrl f a child wh is truant fails t 7

8 6.004A. Administrative Regulatins - Schl Attendance and Truancy Pg.5 attend the meeting stated abve (IV.B) r fails t cperate with the schl prgram (C.E.S.) r respnsible schl district attempting t slve the truancy prblem, C.E.S. in cllabratin with the respnsible schl district, will implement a truancy interventin mdel identified by the State Department f Educatin. G. Students identified as truant may be subject t: Retentin in same grade; Lss f curse credit, where applicable; Reductin in grade; and/r Lss f schl privileges. 8