5200 - STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools

Administrative Guidelines

5200 - STUDENT ATTENDANCE

The Board requires all students enrolled in the schools and programs it offers to attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the State. The Board’s educational program is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. The regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and their participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.

"Attendance" as used in this guideline shall mean to be physically present in a school or at another location where the Board’s educational program being offered at the times established by the Board and teacher is being conducted.

Exceptions to Compulsory Attendance

Exceptions to compulsory attendance recognized by the school are contained in Policy 5200. Students not in attendance at school for the exceptions contained in Policy 5200 shall not be recorded as absent from school.

Excused Absences

Each student absence shall be explained in writing and signed by the student if over eighteen (18) and by the student’s parents if the student is not yet eighteen (18). The written excuse shall be submitted to the Principal and filed as part of the student's school record.

A written excuse for absence from school may be approved for one (1) or more of the reasons contained in Policy 5200.

Absences that do not accumulate against this guideline include college visits, not to exceed two (2) in number.

Unexcused Absences

Any absence that is not an excused absence or an exception to compulsory attendance contained in Policy 5200 is an unexcused absence.

Student Vacations During the School Year

Students are permitted to go on vacation during the school year without penalty (except the week ending each semester). The purpose of this administrative guideline is to establish standards to accommodate parents who want to take their vacations during the school year and the desire to enjoy that time as a family.

Whenever a proposed absence-for-vacation is requested, parents must discuss it with the Principal. The length of absence should be made clear, and those involved should have an opportunity to express their views on the potential effects of the absence.

Work completed during an unexcused absence for a vacation and submitted to a teacher on the day of the student’s return may be counted at the discretion of the teacher. Each teacher shall have a consistently applied policy with respect to credit for make-up work after a student returns from an absence for vacation.

Truancy

A student is "truant" each day or part of the day the student’s absence is unexcused. "Absence" means not present at the assigned location any time beyond the tardiness limit. A student will be "tardy" rather than absence if the student is in the assigned location within ten (10) minutes after the official start of the school day, class, or assignment.

Truancy is a serious barrier to student achievement and represents a waste of scarce resources by failing to utilize instruction and curricular resources reserved for the truant student. To attempt to better utilize instructional resources on students willing to attempt to benefit from those resources, administrative action will be as follows:

	A.	No credit will be recorded for work missed as a result of truancy.

	B.	A record of the truancy will be entered in the student's record file.

	C.	A parent conference may be held if the parent/guardian is willing and able to be an effective participant in addressing the truancy.

In accordance with Indiana law, the building principal and/or attendance officer shall keep the Bureau of Motor Vehicles informed of each student whose truancy has resulted in at least two (2) suspensions, an expulsion, or an exclusion from school or if the student has withdrawn from school in an effort to circumvent the loss of his/her learner's permit or application for a driver's license.

Habitual Truants

A student shall be considered an "habitual truant" when the student accumulates more than ten (10) unexcused absences in a school year.

Notice to Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles

The building principal and/or attendance officer shall notify the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of each student who is a habitual truant.

The disciplining of truant students shall be in accord with Board policies and due process described in the Student Code of Conduct and Board Policy 5611.

Students Leaving School During School Day

No student shall leave school during the school day established by the class schedule for that student without authorization by a staff member. No staff member shall permit or cause any student to leave the school prior to the regular hour of dismissal established by the schedule established for that student except with the approval of the principal and with notice to the student’s parent/guardian.

Encouraging Attendance

Promoting and fostering desired student attendance habits requires a commitment from the administration, faculty, and parents. No single individual or group can - in and of itself - successfully accomplish this task.

A professional staff member's responsibility must include, but not be limited to:

	A.	Providing meaningful learning experiences every day;

		Therefore, a student who is absent from any given class period would be missing a significant component of the course.


	B.	speaking frequently of the importance of students being in class, on time, ready to participate;

	C.	keeping accurate attendance records (excused vs. unexcused);

	D.	requiring an admit slip from a student when s/he returns from an absence and invoking a consequence if s/he does not have one;

	E.	incorporating defined, daily participation as part of the teaching/learning process and each grading period (see AG 2220);

	F.	requiring students to make up missed quizzes, tests, and other pertinent assignments before or after the regular school day and not permitting students to use instructional time to do make-up work.

Make-Up Opportunities

A student may make-up units of study with a properly certificated teacher if prior approval has been granted by the principal.

	A.	Students will be given the opportunity for making-up work missed due to approved absences. The length of time for completion of make-up work shall be commensurate with the length of the absence.

	B.	Students will be given the opportunity to make-up work missed due to suspension within twenty-four (24) hours of the start of a suspension. The make-up work must be completed and presented to the teacher upon his/her return to school. Tests missed during the period of suspension may be made up by the students by contacting the teacher on the day of his/her return to school. The teacher, at his/her convenience, may administer the test or assign alternate written work in lieu of the test missed.

	C.	A student wishing to make-up work must call his/her counselor to obtain assignments.

Tardiness

	A.	Students not in homeroom or in class when the late bell rings are considered tardy.

	B.	Students who attend any part of the class shall be recorded as present.

	C.	All students who are tardy to school must report to the principal's office to sign in.

	D.	When a teacher detains a student after class, s/he shall issue a late pass for the student's next class.

	E.	Teachers are requested to refer cases of chronic tardiness to the principal.

Revised 3/19/12
Revised 2/22/16