Middle/High School Attendance Policy
In recognition of the importance of class attendance for academic success, the Northern Adirondack Central School District hereby establishes an attendance policy.
The philosophy underlying such a policy emphasizes the very nature of the classroom educational experience, an experience that cannot be made up once it is missed and one that a homework assignment cannot duplicate. The planned daily questions and concerns of the teachers and the students alike can only take place when students are present and prepared for these experiences.
With the above philosophy in mind, the following attendance policy is established, and will be enforced.
High School course credit (in the Middle School course credit will directly affect promotion) may be withheld under the following conditions:
A SEMESTER COURSE- AFTER TEN ABSENCES
A FULL-YEAR COURSE- AFTER TWENTY ABSENCES
A FULL-YEAR CV TEC Course – AFTER FIFTEEN ABSENCES
NOTE: Initial attendance is taken during homeroom. Additionally, attendance is taken every period by the individual teacher.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES:
It shall be the policy of Northern Adirondack Central School to have a comprehensive High School Attendance Policy, which seeks to:
A. Ensure the maintenance of an adequate and accurate record of attendance for all children enrolled as students at Northern Adirondack Central High School and in accordance with New York State Education Law.
B. Establish a practical mechanism to account for the whereabouts of all the children throughout the school day.
C. Maximize student achievement and school completion for all students.
D. Increase student achievement by decreasing student absence and by encouraging a higher attendance rate.
E. 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.
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 and desirable place for the faculty, staff and students.
B. Encourage student attendance by communicating the attendance policy clearly to students, parents and faculty.
MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY
C. Communicate attendance concerns directly to parents and discuss those concerns with the student. Afford the student and parents the opportunity to meet in an attendance hearing to verify information and discuss consequences.
D. Recognition of perfect attendance.
E. Maintain accurate school attendance for the purpose of: identifying trends, conducting interventions and establishing an average daily attendance rate.
ABSENCES DEFINED
Northern Adirondack High School, in compliance with New York State Education Department Law, identifies two types of absences: excused and unexcused.
A. EXCUSED ABSENCES- An absence, tardy or early dismissal which is due to any of the following reasons: Student Illness or Illness of immediate family member or death of immediate family Religious observance Quarantine- verifiable by physician or County Health Dept. Required Court appearance Attendance at Health Clinics Approved college visits (letter from admission’s office is required) Approved Cooperative Work Programs Military obligations Road Test (not a driver permit test)
In school suspension (ISS) and out of school (OSS) will not be counted toward the maximum number of allowed days missed.
The above Excused absences still require verification and legitimate written excuses. Without verification, Excused absences will be counted toward the denial of credit.
**If a prolonged absence due to a short term physical, mental, or emotional illness is anticipated, the student’s parents or guardian should contact the building administrator regarding homebound instruction. According to the State Education Department, an absence of at least two weeks is considered a prolonged absence. The students Physician must verify any such absence due to illness. Homebound instruction counts as school attendance.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE- Is an absence, tardy or early dismissal, which is not recognized as an excused absence. These absences include, but are not limited to: Family vacations/Planned events Hunting trips Babysitting Oversleeping Field Trips not authorized by the principal Meetings held during the school day without principal’s authorization Farm work Employment during the school day.
DESCRIPTION OF ATTENDANCE INCENTIVES:
In general, the following attendance incentives will be used to encourage greater student attendance: Participation in student recognition activities
MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY
Certificates issuance (Perfect Attendance) Eligibility for CV-TEC Maintenance of driving privileges
NOTES: To receive credit for attendance in a specific class, a student must be present for a minimum of 30 minutes. This policy also applies to students who are enrolled in Champlain Valley (CV-TEC) Vocational Education programs. Students exceeding the number of absences will either audit the CV-TEC program or return to the home school with appropriate work as determined by the student’s councilor. A written excuse or e-mail (including reason) MUST be submitted to the attendance office within 3 days of returning to school, the student MUST have a written explanation giving the following information:
o Students name
o Date of absence
o Grade
o Reason for absence
o Signature of parent/Guardian
o Letters/notes for absence due to court appearance, college visits and doctor visits to illnesses are required. ** Three consecutive days of absence due to student illness will require a written note from a doctor/health clinic. In the event of an attendance hearing, the students attendance file will be presented as documentation of the nature of the student’s absences 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 the time of dismissal should be submitted to the office during homeroom period. In the rare case an emergency requires that a student leave unexpectedly, the parent or guardian should call the main office or nurse’s 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 his/her child. In every case the register needs to be signed and a written excuse is required upon return of the student. Chronic absences, tardiness, or truancy will be investigated and, if not corrected will be reported to the proper authorities.
IEP Diploma-bound students are required to adhere to the attendance policy to meet the requirements for the IEP Diploma unless specified otherwise on the students IEP.
Students of parents with attendance concerns shall be notified in the following manner:
Parents will receive notification when their son or daughter has been absent:
o 5 days = first notification Full year course
o 10 days = second notification Full year course
o 15 days = third notification Full year course
o 18 days = (ATTENDANCE HEARING WITH PARENTS) Full year course Half year Course
o 5 days = first notification
o 8 days = (ATTENDANCE HEARING WITH PARENTS)
MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY
After missing more than 20 UNEXCUSED absences for a full year course or more then 10 UNEXCUSED absences for a semester course the student will receive a NO CREDIT (in the Middle School, it will be a failure) for that class. The student will be required to audit the class.
Attendance
Each student’s attendance record at school is very important. College admission offices and future employers will carefully evaluate your attendance record. Period by period attendance will be taken daily. Students who have first period study hall are expected to report to homeroom on time.
If a student is late to school, he should report to the nurse’s office immediately upon entry into school.
When you are late to class due to some unusual circumstances, explain these facts to your teacher.
Note: Detention may be assigned for being tardy more than three times.
Upon the first day of your return to school from an absence, you must bring an excuse to the homeroom teacher so that the reason can be entered on the permanent record.
Bus passes must be issued by the main office before 8:10 a.m. whenever a student will be riding a different bus or getting off at a different place. Notes from parents requesting these changes must be brought in.
Students may not leave the High School building without obtaining permission from the Principal. Examples of places that need permission are: the elementary building and the parking lot.