Attendance Facts
Chronic Absenteeism Facts
- Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read
- Studies demonstrate students who are absent two or more days each school month struggle more academically than their classmates
- Being late to school may lead to poor attendance
- Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
- Students need to know that being in school is their “job” and regular school attendance prepares them for success in their college and career paths
- Young people who are not in school are often victims of crime or more likely to be in trouble with the law
- Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school — and themselves
Definitions
- “Tardy”: Teachers will take attendance at the beginning of class. If a student arrives after attendance has been taken, they will be marked as tardy.
- “Unexcused Absence”: A student shall have an unexcused absence if the student is absent or is tardy without a valid excuse.
- “Truant”: A student shall be classified as a truant if the student is absent from school without a valid excuse three (3) full days in one school year, or if the student is tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three (3) occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Any student who has once been reported as a truant and who is again absent from school without valid excuse one or more days, or tardy on one or more days, shall again be deemed a truant. Such students shall be reported to the Executive Director or designee.
- “Habitual Truant”: A student shall be classified as a habitual truant if the student is reported for truancy three (3) or more times within the same school year. This generally occurs when the student is absent from school without a valid excuse for five (5) full days in one school year or if the student is tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on five (5) occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof.
- “Chronic Truant”: A student shall be classified as a chronic truant if the student is absent from school without a valid excuse for ten (10) percent or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date.
- “School Attendance Review Team (“SART”)”: The SART panel will be composed of a school administrator, at least one teacher, the special education teacher as applicable, and(optionally) a classified administrative employee. The SART panel will discuss the absence problem with the student’s parent/guardian to work on solutions, develop strategies, discuss appropriate support services for the student and student’s family, and establish a plan to resolve the attendance issue.