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431
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
In accordance with state law, all children between six (6) and eighteen (18) years of age must attend school full time until the end of the term, quarter, or semester in which they become eighteen (18) years of age, unless they have a legal excuse, fall under one of the exceptions outlined in the state statutes, or have graduated from high school.
Any student who has reached the age of sixteen (16) may be excused from school attendance by the School Board provided:
1. The student has requested permission to be excused;
2. The school has received the written approval of the student's parent/guardian;
3. The student and his/her parent/guardian agree, in writing, that the student will pursue further education in accordance with state law requirements;
4. The written agreement is approved by the administration and the School Board; and
5. The student complies with the written agreement. If the agreement is suspended due to noncompliance, the student will be expected to resume attendance at school on a regular basis in accordance with state law and School Board policy or be subject to forfeiture for truancy in accordance with established municipal or county ordinances.
Procedures shall be developed to enhance the full attendance requirement and to determine appropriate action to serve as a deterrent to truancy and a problem-solving approach to the matter. These procedures shall be continued in a Truancy Plan, which shall be reviewed at least every two (2) years, and which shall be in accordance with MilwaukeeCounty ordinances and state law and be approved by the School Board.
All teachers shall submit to the school attendance officer daily reports of the attendance of the students under their charge.
Enforcement of student attendance policies and truancy procedures shall be a shared responsibility among the school, students, parent/guardian, social service agencies, law enforcement officials, and the community at large.
Adoption Date - 7/1/87, 1/10/90, 6/12/96, 9/9/98
Legal Reference - Sections 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.165, 118.18 Wis. Stats.
Cross Reference - 431-Rule (1), Student Attendance Procedures
431-Rule (2), Truancy Plan
351, Summer School
Children At Risk Plan
431-Rule (1)
STUDENT ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
A. Student Attendance Officer
1. The principal, or designee, will serve as the school attendance officer for each school in the District and deal with all matters relating to school attendance and truancy.
2. Each school shall determine daily which students enrolled in the school are absent from school and whether that absence is excused in accordance with School Board policy and established procedures.
3. Annually, on or before June 15, the school attendance officer shall determine how many students enrolled in each school in the District were absent in the previous year and whether the absences were excused. This information will be submitted to the District Administrator who shall notify the State Superintendent of Public Instruction of the determination.
4. The school attendance officer, or designee, shall notify the parent/guardian of a student who has been truant of the child's truancy and direct the parent/guardian to return the student to school no later than the next day on which school is in session or to provide an excuse. The notice under this paragraph must be given before the end of the second day after receiving a report of an unexcused absence and may be made by personal service, mail, or telephone call. Parents may makearrangements with the school for attendance notification through other available telecommunicative channels (e.g., E-mail, facsimile, etc.) Written record is kept on file for all absences.
“Truancy” means any absence of part or all of one or more school days during which the school attendance officer or teacher has not been notified of the legal cause of such absence by the parent/guardian of the absent student, and also means intermittent attendance carried on for the purpose of defeating the intent of the compulsory attendance law.
5. The school attendance officer, or designee, shall notify the parent/guardian of a student who is a habitual truant in accordance with the district's truancy plan.
“Habitual Truant” means a student who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five (5) or more days on which school is held during a school semester.
6. Each pupil enrolled in the District shall be provided a copy of the District Student Attendance policy at the beginning of each school term.
B. Student Absences
1. The responsibility for regular school attendance of a student rests upon the student's parent/guardian.
2. All excused absences require a parent/guardian or legal custodian to give written verification which is to be submitted to the school attendance officer, or designee, in advance of the absence or prior to re-admittance to school. The District may request the parent/guardian or legal custodian to obtain a written statement from a licensed medical practitioner as proof of a period of illness or as proof of a medical appointment.
The school attendance officer, or designee, may permit a student to be absent under the following circumstances:
a. Personal illness
b. Funeral
c. Required legal appearances
d. Designated religious holidays
e. Medical or dental appointments
f. Family emergencies
g. Driver's examination
h. Approved District sponsored activities
i. Prior approved absences which have been deemed educationally beneficial for the student.*
j. Up to ten (10) days per school year for absences excused in writing by the parent/guardian before the date(s) of the absence.
All other absences except those listed above will be regarded as truancy.
* Family trips should be taken outside the normal school term. The intent of “i” above is to provide opportunity for students to accompany their parent/guardian on a vacation which can only be scheduled when school is in session. A parent/guardian shall be required to notify the school attendance officer, or designee, prior to leaving on vacation of the pending absence for the purpose of reviewing the student's attendance record and overall performance record.
C. Make-up Work
A student will be permitted to take all examinations missed during an absence. The opportunity and expectations to make up other missed assignments may vary depending on the type of assignment, the course content, the length of absence, and the reason for the absence. Under no condition may a student be denied credit in a course solely because of the student's absence.
A student who has been truant may be assigned to detention held outside of the regular school day to make up his/her absence from school.
1. Excused Absences
All students with excused absences will be given the opportunity to make up work missed in accordance with the following guidelines:
a. It is the student's responsibility to contact the teacher(s) to make arrangements for making up work missed during an absence from school.
b. Students who miss classes for reasons that are determined to be excused will be given the opportunity, whenever possible, to make up work missed when they return to school. Absences under section B(2)(j) above will require that any coursework missed be completed.
c. Teachers will be asked to grant the number of days absent plus one for make-up time. This provision applies to all work assigned during absence(s). Consideration for extensions will be given in the event of extenuating circumstances (e.g., serious illness, family crisis). Extensions will be granted at the teacher's discretion.
d. If a regular assignment is due on the same day an absence occurs, the student will be expected to turn in the assignment upon returning to school. This refers to work known about before the absence.
e. Deadlines may be set for long term, major assignments. In most cases, these assignments do not require the student's physical presence in class in order to be completed.
When the above conditions exist and a student is absent on the deadline date, the absence itself does not absolve the student from meeting the deadline. However, consideration for extensions will be given in the event of extenuating circumstances (e.g., serious illness, family crisis). Extensions will be granted at the teacher's discretion. Teachers will inform students that should serious illness or family crisis prevent them from meeting the deadline, it will be the student's (or parent/guardian's) responsibility to notify the teacher in order to make arrangements to complete and turn in the assignment.
f. Examinations missed during an excused absence will be permitted to be taken at a time designated by the teacher. The teacher will take into consideration the length of time the student was absent.
2. Unexcused Absences
a. Students who are absent from school with the consent of their parent/guardian but whose absence does not fall under the reasons listed above shall be considered unexcused. In such cases, the student may be permitted to make up classwork missed. The student, on his/her return to school, will be expected to submit a written statement signed by his/her parent/guardian explaining the reasons for the absence. On the basis of this statement, the principal will determine whether credit for the make-up work will be granted.
b. A student who is absent from school for no particular reason or is truant will be considered unexcused and will not be given credit for daily class work missed during an absence. Students will have the obligation to understand and retain for future reference and use all materials presented during their unexcused absence.
c. All students with an unexcused absence will be permitted to make up any examination missed during an absence within two (2) days of the absence.
3. Suspension
No student will be denied credit in a course or subject solely because of a suspension(s) from school. Conditions under which a student shall be permitted to take quarterly, semester or grading period examinations and complete any course work missed during the period of suspension will be discussed by school officials and the student and/or parents/guardians upon the student's readmission into school.
Adoption Date - 11/11/87, 6/12/96, 9/9/98
Legal Reference - Sections 118.15, 118.153, 118.16 Wis. Stats.
431-Rule (2)
TRUANCY PLAN
I. Plans and procedures for identifying truant students of all ages and returning them to school, including the identity of school personnel to whom a truant student shall be returned, are as follows:
A. Each school will identify truant students through:
(1) The attendance monitoring system
(2) Teacher or parent referrals
(3) Administrative referrals (principal, guidance counselors)
(4) Police referrals
(5) Reports of truancy from the community (e.g., proprietors)
B. The following methods will be employed in an effort to get truant students to return to school:
(1) Parent notification (counselors)
(2) Parent conference (counselors/administrator)
(3) Guidance intervention/support services
(4) Disciplinary action (principal/associate principal)
(5) Social worker referral/home visit
(6) Municipal truancy ordinance
(7) District Attorney referral
II. The Wisconsin Compulsory School Attendance Law states that “any person having under control a child who is between the ages of 6 and 18 years shall cause the child to attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious days excepted, until the end of the school term, quarter, or semester of the school year in which the child becomes 18 yeas of age or has graduated from high school.” Therefore, the involvement of a parent/guardian in deterring truancy is mandated by state law. The following procedures will be followed by the District to deal with student truancy.
Listed below are four levels which serve as the procedures for dealing with truant and habitually truant students, along with methods for involving a parent/guardian in dealing with a truancy problem. Level 1 describes the procedures for notifying parents/guardians of each truant student. Level 2 details procedures for notifying, meeting and conferring with a parent/guardian of a student considered a “habitual truant.” Level 3 details the steps which should be taken after school personnel have met with or attempted to meet with the child's parent/guardian, as well as the procedures for coordinating the responses with public and private social services agencies. Level 4 discusses the type of truancy cases which should be referred to the District Attorney and how the District Attorney should respond to the District's referral.
Level 1 -- Truant Student -- Parent Notification
1. (a) A telephone call to the parent/guardian will be made within 48 hours by attendance office personnel to inform the parent/guardian of every truant absence (unexcused absences which have not been cleared). This notice may be made by personal service, mail or telephone call of which a writtenrecord is kept.
(b) Written notification will be used if no personal contact is made.
(c) Notification to a parent/guardian will be written in addition to the telephone call.
(d) A written medical excuse may be required for all absences exceeding three (3) consecutive days.
Level 2 -- Habitual Truant Student -- Parent Notification
1. After five (5) truancies within a semester, a student will be considered a habitual truant. Written notification (by registered or certified mail) will be sent to the parent/guardian. In addition, the habitual truant case will be referred to the social worker for home visits. The notice will include the following:
(a) A statement of the parent/guardian's responsibility to cause the student to attend school regularly.
(b) A statement that the parent/guardian or student may request program or curriculum modifications for the child and that the child may be eligible for enrollment in a program for children at-risk.
(c) A request that the parent/guardian meet with the appropriate school personnel to discuss the student's truancy. The notice shall include the name of the school personnel with whom the parent/guardian should meet, a date, time and place for the meeting and the name, address and telephone number of a person to contact to arrange a different date, time or place. The date for the meeting shall be within five school days after the date that the notice is sent, except that with the consent of the student's parent/guardian, the date for the meeting may be extended five additional school days.
The purpose of this meeting will be to provide the parent/guardian with information on:
-- the student's status in class
-- the compulsory attendance law and its requirements and consequences
-- the issuance of a municipal citation for habitual truancy
-- all the services as required by statute which may be offered to the student, if appropriate (e.g., at-risk program, EEN referral)
-- the development of strategies to deter truancy
(d) A statement of the penalties that may be imposed on the parent/guardian if he/she fails to cause the student to attend school regularly.
Level 3 -- Habitual Truant -- Referral Services
1. If school personnel have met or attempted to meet with a habitual truant's parent/guardian and the unexcused absences continue, the District will respond by taking the following actions:
(a) The counselor and/or administrator will meet with the student and appropriate personnel as needed to address the truancy problems. A decision will be made to:
(1) Refer the student to guidance
(2) Warn the student about status in class
(3) Initiate a parent/teacher contact
(4) Refer the student to an M-team
(5) Refer the student to support services (e.g., social worker, psychologist, Student Assistance Program coordinator)
(6) Examine the potential for at-risk services
(7) Refer the student to outside public or private social service agencies
(b) The District will provide an opportunity for educational counseling to determine whether a change in the student's curriculum would resolve the student's truancy and to consider what curriculum modification would beeffective.
(c) The District will evaluate the student to determine whether learning problems may be a cause of the student's truancy and, if so, take steps to overcome the learning problems.
(d) The District should conduct an evaluation as to whether social problems may be a cause of the student's truancy and, if so, take the appropriate action or make appropriate referrals to public or private social service agencies.
2. If the decision is made to contact an outside public or private social service agency, the school social worker or counselor will be responsible for identifying and referring the student (and family) to the social service agency or program.
3. The state requires that prior to a referral to the District Attorney, the District must show it has exhausted the appropriate required means of addressing habitual truancy (compliance with Levels 2 and 3 of the truancy plan), unless:
(a) the parent/guardian meeting was not held within ten school days after notice was sent pursuant to level 2; and
(b) the school attendance officer provides evidence that appropriate school personnel were unable to carry out the activities under Level 3 due to the child's absences from school.
Level 4 -- Habitual Truant -- Referral to District Attorney
1. After school personnel have met or attempted to meet with the child's parent/guardian under Level 2 and efforts that the school has undertaken under Level 3 have not been effective in resolving the truancy, a referral to the District Attorney will be made.
2. The types of truancy cases to be referred to the District Attorney for the filing of information under §118.5(5), Wis. Stats. and the time periods within which the District Attorney will respond and take action on the referrals as follows:
(a) The referral to the District Attorney will include evidence of all activities undertaken pursuant to Level 1, 2 , and 3 of the Truancy Plan.
(b) The District Attorney's office should respond to the District's referral within three (3) days of the receipt of the referral and schedule the initial review conference within three (3) weeks of that response.
III. Methods to increase and maintain public awareness of and involvement in responding to truancy within the District are as follows:
A. Utilization of media (e.g., cable, school newspaper, parent newsletters, PTA newsletters, local newspapers, radio, television) to communicate the importance of school attendance and the community's stance against truancy.
B. Consideration of a coordinated county-wide effort that makes the public aware of the community-wide efforts in combating truancy and reinforcing good attendance.
C. Coordinating efforts with the business community and law enforcement agency in the District to deter students from truancy in the community. This may include:
(1) Working with business and police to identify “hangouts” for truant students;
(2) Working cooperatively with these agencies to develop incentives to keep students in school;
(3) Increasing the level of communication between the District, business, and law enforcement to identify students who may be truant during the day; and
(4) Sensitizing the business community to the issue of students? working hours that are inconsistent with school achievement.
IV. The immediate response to be made by school personnel when a truant student is returned to school is as follows:
A. Local school educational response
(1) All returning habitual truants and their parent/guardian should report to the attendance officer of the school. It will be the responsibility of the school to make certain the student is properly programmed for re-entry. This may include:
-- Referral to the at-risk program
-- Referral to the guidance counselor
-- Referral to the social worker, school psychologist, or other appropriate personnel or special program
-- Referral to the school tutorial programs
-- Provisions for supervised study
(2) It is expected that the school will maintain ongoing contact with the home, while closely monitoring the returning student's adjustment. It will be necessary for the school to monitor the following indicators to determine the student's readjustment to school:
-- Attendance records
-- Report cards/progress reports
-- School performance
-- Social interaction
-- Discipline referrals
B. Off-campus education response
Should the prescribed educational program require enrollment in an off-campus setting, school personnel in conjunction with the parent/guardian and representatives from other involved agencies should take the responsibility of providing the following:
-- An opportunity for all involved to meet and develop a rationale for off-campus placement. This rationale will document the efforts by the school to provide on-campus educational achievement, reasons why the school program was ineffective, and recommendations why the proposed off-campus program was selected.
-- Agreement between the parent/guardian and the school to waive the student's attendance at the school in favor of the off-campus program. The student may apply for re-admittance to the school at any time; however, the school may determine the appropriate time for the student to return. Attendance requirements and procedures will be specified in the off-campus agreements.
Adoption Date - 11/11/87, 6/12/96, 9/9/98
Legal Reference - Sections 118.15, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163, 118.18 Wis. Stats.
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