The Northeastern
Attendance Policy
A.
STATEMENT OF
PHILOSOPHY
The primary purpose of a school is
to educate its students to become responsible citizens and to prepare them for
entry level employment or higher education. It is extremely important the student attends classes daily so
that the process of education progresses.
In those instances where students are not present for instruction, something
is lost which cannot be regained. Where
this loss is too great, the student shall be unable to successfully complete
the requirements of the courses.
Any absence from class will be
detrimental to learning, and in some cases, just a few absences at critical
periods of instruction could result in a serious lowering of the student’s
grade. Although the school will attempt
to keep the parents informed of excessive absences so that lower grades or
failure will not come as a surprise, it should be understood that, ultimately,
it is the legal responsibility of the parent/guardian (and obligation of the
student) to see that attendance at school is on a regular basis.
B.
Class
Attendance
A vital and integral element of the
learning experience includes interaction with others to develop critical
thinking, listening and speaking skills.
Recognizing this, the Northeastern Clinton Central School District Board
of Education has adopted the following policy regarding class attendance.
I.
Statement of Objectives:
It shall be the policy of the
1.
Ensure the maintenance of an adequate and accurate record of
attendance for all children enrolled as students at NCCS and in accordance with
New York State Education Law.
2.
Establish a practical mechanism to account for the
whereabouts of all children throughout the school day.
3.
Maximize student achievement and school completion for all
students.
4.
Increase student achievement by decreasing student absence
and by encouraging a higher attendance rate.
5.
Comply with all aspects of the NYS Education Department with
regards to pupil attendance, transfer, or withdrawal, etc. and the maintenance
and compilation of all relevant and necessary data.
II.
Description of
Strategies to meet Objectives:
A. Create and maintain a positive school
climate and culture which creates an environment conducive to learning and
makes school a desirable place for faculty, staff and students.
B. Encourage student attendance by
communicating the attendance policy clearly to students, parents and faculty.
C. Communicate attendance concerns directly to
parents and discuss those concerns with the student.
D. Reward students with desirable attendance by
creating linkage between: acceptable
attendance rates, participation in extra-curricular activities, Senior Study
Area, obtainment of student parking permits, attendance at prom, and
recognition of perfect attendance and most improved attendance.
E. Maintain accurate school attendance for the
purpose of: identifying trends,
conducting interventions, and establishing an average daily attendance rate.
F. Review and revise “The Comprehensive
Attendance Policy” and procedures as necessary.
III. Absences defined:
A.
Excused
Absences-An absence, tardy or early dismissal which is due to any of
the following reasons:
1.
Illness or death in the family
2.
Religious observance
3.
Quarantine-verifiable by physician or County Health Dept.
4.
Required Court appearances
5.
Attendance at Health Clinics
6.
Approved college visits {Letter from Admission’s Office is
required}
7.
Approved Cooperative Work Programs
8.
Military obligations
9.
Music lesson: as scheduled by the Music Dept. and in
conjunction with the regular course of school.
10.
Appointments scheduled by:
Guidance dept., Health office, Special Ed. Office, or prior approval by
the Administrative office.
The above Excused absences still
require verification and legitimate written excuses
B.
Unexcused
Absences-An absence, tardy or early dismissal which is not
recognized as an excused absence. These
absences include, but or not limited to:
1.
Family vacations/Planned events
2.
Hunting trips
3.
babysitting
4.
Road Test/Learner’s permit exam
5.
Oversleeping
6.
Field Trips not authorized by the Principal
7.
Meetings held during the school day without Principal’s
authorization
8.
Farm work
9.
Employment
10.
Car problems
In the beginning of each school year,
all Students will be required to complete an Attendance Contract.
Students attending CV-TEC will sign an additional contract. {see page 6
& 7}
In general, students will be allowed to make-up missed class
assignments up to the maximum of 18 absences.
After 18 absences in a full-year course or 9 absences in a semester
course, NO MAKE-UP work will be given, unless otherwise determined by the
outcome of the attendance hearing.
If students provide a written
notification one week before a scheduled vacation, all assignments will be accepted
if turned in on the day the student returns.
Again, a minimum of one week’s
notice must be provided to the school for this provision.
Students who are absent from a ½ year course in excess of 9
days and from one-year course in excess of 18 days shall not receive course
credit. For course credit purposes, all
absences, excused or unexcused will be counted. The decision to deny credit shall be the responsibility of the
building principal based on the outcome of a previously held attendance
hearing. This minimum attendance policy
requires that students should attend classes a minimum of 162 days for a
full-year course and 81 days for a ½ year course.
Notes:
·
To receive credit for attendance in a specific class, a
student must be present for a minimum of 30 minutes.
·
The minimum of 162 days is equal to 90% of the total days of
possible attendance. The total days of
possible student attendance does not include Superintendent Conference Days or
Regents Examination Days (in January and June).
·
The policy also applies to students enrolled in Champlain
Valley TEC (CV-TEC) Vocational Education programs.
·
School work missed as a result of an absence, up to a total
of 18 absences for a full-year course or 9 absences for a semester course may
be made up. After 18 absences/9
absences, missed work may not be
made up, unless otherwise determined by an attendance hearing.
·
If a student is absent from school, the parent/guardian
should inform the school (by phone) of the reason for the absence. This will prevent unnecessary phone calls to
the home, by the Attendance Officer.
·
A written excuse (including reason) MUST still be submitted
to the office within 5 days of returning to school. Excuses for absences ARE REQUIRED BY NEW YORK STATE LAW! Upon returning to school, the student must have a written explanation giving
the following information:
·
Student’s name
·
Date(s) of absence
·
Grade
·
Reason for absence
·
Signature of Parent/Guardian
·
Letters/notes for absence due to court appearance, college
visits and doctor visits due to illness are required.
** Three consecutive days of
absence will require a written note from a doctor/health clinic. Please note Student Attendance Contract (VII
#2).
·
When a student needs to be dismissed prior to the end of the
school day, a note (signed by the student’s parent/guardian) stating the reason
and time of dismissal should be submitted to the office prior to the 1st
period. In the rare case that an
emergency requires that a student leaves unexpectedly their parent or guardian
should call the High School Office and request for their child to be
dismissed. In the absence of a note to
leave or permission granted over the phone, the parent must physically come
into the office and sign out their child.
In every case the register needs to be signed and a written excuse is
required upon the return of the student.
·
Chronic absences, tardiness, or truancy will be investigated
and, if not corrected, will be reported to the proper authorities.
Parents of students with attendance concerns shall be
notified in the following manner:
Parents of a student in grades K-12 will receive
notification when their son or daughter has been tardy or absent FIVE, TEN and
FIFTEEN days for full year courses and THREE, FIVE AND SEVEN days for semester
courses. Parental input will be sought
to initiate intervention strategies to improve student attendance. (See notification letters on pages 8-10)
Further, absences will result in the Administration
conducting an attendance hearing. The
parties invited will include the student, students’ teachers, parent and
administrator. This will likely occur
after the 10th class absence for full-year classes and 5th
class absence for semester-based courses.
The outcome(s) of the attendance hearing may result in: (1) extension of the minimum attendance
policy, (2) the assignment of No Grade to the student of poor attendance, (3)
decision of future consequences of absences, (4) a discussion of intervention
strategies, and (5) a discussion of the responsibility of student and parent in
regards to pupil attendance. If the
student receives a “No Grade” for his or her class, they WILL NOT be
rescheduled to an alternate class, but will remain in the class to participate
as deemed appropriate by the teacher.
However, the student will not be eligible to have his/her exams or
quizzes graded. They will audit the
course. The student who successfully
audits the course will receive a minimum grade of 50 for the purpose of not
prohibiting admission to summer school.
VI. Description of Attendance Incentives/Sanctions to be used:
A. Description
of Incentives:
In general, the following
attendance incentives will be used to encourage greater student attendance:
1. Participation
in Student Recognition activities.
2. Participation
in Extra-curricular activities
3. Prom
attendance.
4. Certificate
issuance [Most Improved, Perfect, etc.]
5. Eligibility
for CV-TEC.
6. Issuance of
parking permit.
B. Description of Disciplinary Sanctions:
Truant students or those who leave school without permission
will be assigned to After-School Detention for each class period missed (to a
maximum of 5 per offense). In addition
to ASD, the following disciplinary measures may be used: (Each case will be reviewed on an individual
basis.)
v
After-School Detention
v
In-School Suspension
v
Lunch detention
v
Revoking of parking permissions
v
Denial of parking permit
v
Alternate program placement
v
Child Protective Services (CPS report)
v
Referral to the court
v
Referral to Person In-Need Of Supervision
v
NO GRADE (NG) designation
v
Schedule change
v
Denial of CV-TEC participation or the rescheduling from a
program at CV-Tech to a program here at NCCS.
{Consistent with CV-TEC Attendance contract}
1. Every effort will be made to keep parent(s)
or guardians informed of their child’s attendance, issues or concerns. In addition to parent conferences and
attendance hearings, parents should be contacted when their child’s attendance
reaches the prescribed benchmarks. (See
Section V)
2. The office will attempt to call the parents
of any student who has been absent 3 days in a row without notification, left
school without permission, or regularly comes to school late. After-School Detention will require
notification of parents. (Signature or
call)
VIII. Process to Develop Intervention Strategies
Students will:
1. Have their
parents notified.
2. Be placed on a
list for review by the Student Support Team [Gr. 9-12]
3. Be referred to
the Administration for a conference
NCCS will review its Attendance
Policy on an annual basis in light of NY State Education Department changes as
well as seek annual input from faculty, students, and parents and make
recommendations for revisions, if necessary.
Attendance Contracts, Referral Letters, LOSS OF
CREDIT NOTIFICATION and the Faculty Memorandum can be found on pages 6-12.
Student Attendance Contract
STUDENT
ATTENDANCE
CONTRACT (2004-05)
As a Northeastern Clinton Central student, I understand
that my attendance is extremely important. My ability to be successful in my
studies requires that I make a commitment to attend school on a regular basis.
Therefore, I agree to the following attendance guidelines:
1. I will not be absent more than a total of 18 days for
the entire school year (9 days for a semester course), whether my absences are
excused or unexcused.
2. I will provide the school with appropriate written
notes from offices such as doctors, courts, and college admissions and excuses
from parents in a timely manner.
I fully understand that if I deviate from these established
guidelines, I WILL NOT receive credit for my affected course(s).
Student Name (Print) _______________________Date___________
Student’s Signature______________________________
Administrator’s Signature_________________________
Parent’s Signature_______________________________
Student
Attendance Contract for CV-TEC
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
CONTRACT (2004-05)
As a Northeastern Clinton Central
student enrolled in a program at CV-TEC, I understand that my attendance is
extremely important. My ability to be successful in my studies requires that I
make a commitment to attend school on a regular basis. Therefore, I agree to
the following attendance guidelines:
1.
I will not be absent more than two days of school prior to
2.
I will not be absent
more than a total of 18 days for the entire school year, whether my absences
are excused or unexcused.
3.
I
will provide the school with appropriate written notes from offices such as
doctors, courts, and college admissions and excuses in a timely manner.
I fully understand that if I deviate
from these established guidelines, I WILL NOT be permitted to continue
in my program at CV-TEC. Rather, I will be rescheduled for classes at NCCS.
Student Name (Print)
_______________________Date___________
Student’s Signature______________________________
Administrator’s
Signature_________________________
Parent’s
Signature_______________________________
*Absences
which occur as a result of a lack of transportation from NCCS to CV-TEC, will not
be counted in the aggregate amount.
ATTENDANCE NOTIFICATION # 1
Date:
TO: Mr. / Ms. / Mrs.
STUDENT:
We, at
Commencing in September of 2004, our attendance policy states that students who miss more than 9 days in a semester course or 18 days in a full year course will not receive credit for the course. Education related absences such as field trips do not count in the total. College visits do not count if documentation from the college admission office is provided to the high school principal. Everything else does count, including absences due to illness. Extenuating circumstances such as surgery will be considered on an individual basis. Please read the policy for clarification and specific details.
Your child presently has at least five (5) absences in one or more of his/her classes for a year course or at least three (3) absences in one or more of his/her semester courses. This is a courtesy notification so that you are aware early on of any absences. I have spoken to your son or daughter and have clarified the attendance policy with him/her. I would appreciate you speaking to him/her about this also. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 298-8638.
Sincerely,
Chris
High School Principal Assistant Principal
Please sign and return this form to the high school office so that I am aware that you have received this information.
Parent Signature ________________________________________________
Student Signature _______________________________________________
ATTENDANCE
NOTIFICATION # 2
Date:
TO: Mr. / Ms / Mrs.
STUDENT:
We, at
Commencing in September of 2004, our attendance policy states that students who miss more than 9 days in a semester course or 18 days in a full year course will not receive credit for the course. Education related absences such as field trips do not count in the total. College visits do not count if documentation from the college admission office is provided to the high school principal. Everything else does count, including absences due to illness. Extenuating circumstances such as surgery will be considered on an individual basis. Please read the policy for clarification and specific details.
Your child presently has at least ten (10) absences in one or more of his/her classes for a year course or at least five (5) absences in one or more of his/her semester courses. This is a courtesy notification so that you are aware of his/her absences. I have spoken to your son or daughter and have explained that he/she will not receive course credit if he/she exceeds 18 absences or 9 absences for a semester course. If your child reaches 15 absences for a full-year or 7 for a semester course, I will be calling to schedule an attendance hearing with you and your child at the school. Please reinforce to your child that attendance is essential for him/her to successfully complete this academic year. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 298-8638.
Sincerely,
Chris
High School Principal Assistant Principal
Please sign and return this form to the high school office so that I am aware that you have received this information.
Parent Signature ________________________________________________
Student Signature _______________________________________________
ATTENDANCE
NOTIFICATION # 3
Date:
TO: Mr. / Ms / Mrs.
STUDENT:
We, at
Commencing in September of 2004, our attendance policy states that students who miss more than 9 days in a semester course or 18 days in a full year course will not receive credit for the course. Education related absences such as field trips do not count in the total. College visits do not count if documentation from the college admission office is provided to the high school principal. Everything else does count, including absences due to illness. Extenuating circumstances such as surgery will be considered on an individual basis. Please read the policy for clarification and specific details.
Your child presently has at least 15 absences in one or more of his/her classes for a year course or at least seven (7) absences in one or more of his/her semester courses. This is notification that an attendance hearing has been scheduled for ___________________ at ____________. I would appreciate your attendance. If you can not attend for some reason, please be aware that your child will not receive course credit if he/she exceeds 18 absences in any of his/her classes that are full-year or 9 absences that are semester-based. I have spoken to your son or daughter three times now to reinforce that he/she will not receive course credit if they exceed 18 absences/9 absences. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 298-8638.
Sincerely,
Chris
High School Principal Assistant Principal
Please sign and return this form to the high school office so that I am aware that you have received this information.
Parent Signature ________________________________________________
Student Signature _______________________________________________
ATTENDANCE
LOSS OF CREDIT NOTIFICATION
Date:
TO:
Student’s Name:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your child will not receive credit in the following course/s: He/she has exceeded the absence limit of 18 for a full year (Y) course or 9 for a semester (S) course. (Y=year and S=semester)
COURSE Y or S TOTAL ABSENCES counted toward 18 Y or 9 S
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
_____________________Y or S _____________________________________________
If your child continues to attend class without discipline issues and has successful attendance of at least 95% from this date on until the course ends, then he/she will be eligible to attend summer school for the course, if it is offered. If he/she qualifies, he/she are still eligible to take his/her regents exam at the end of the course if the continues in his/her class.
Please encourage your child to attend class daily and not jeopardize any further course credits. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 298-8638.
Sincerely,
Chris Crowley
High School Principal
ATTENDANCE
LOSS OF CREDIT MEMO FOR FACULTY
To: Faculty Member _______________________________
From: Chris Crowley, H.S. Principal
Re: Student Loss of Credit Named _________________________________
Date: Current date
Please record a grade of “failure due to excessive absences“ in the teacher comment section with no grade recorded for the above named student. He/she has exceeded the attendance limit.
CC: School Counselors