A.I.M. For Success A ttendance I ntervention M odule
OVERVIEW OF COURSE Importance of Attendance GA Compulsory Attendance Law Explanation of Truancy, Dependency, CHINS Fulton County Attendance Policy Attendance Categories and Definitions Myths and Misperceptions Parents Role in Preventing or Reducing Excessive Absences Where You Can Go for Help 2
WHY IS DAILY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SO IMPORTANT? Children who attend school EVERY DAY often….. • GET BETTER GRADES • BEHAVE BETTER AT SCHOOL AND HOME • ARE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL • ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO COLLEGE • HOLD HIGHER PAYING JOBS AS ADULTS
Why Do Students Miss School? • Oversleeping • Hanging with friends • Health Problems (physical and mental) • School Environment • Academic Failure • Substance Use/Abuse • Family Issues • Appointments 4
Students with poor attendance often: • Do not perform up to their ability • Have difficulty getting along with others • Are more likely to drop out of high school • Are more likely to use drugs & alcohol as teens!! 5
DO YOU KNOW THE LAW? All students between the ages of 6 -16 are required by GA law to be enrolled in and regularly attend school. This law requires parents or guardians to see that their children attend school, and it provides penalties for failure to do so.... http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/...57D8D23CD6B9341CB 10138&Type=D 6
DID YOU KNOW? • Fine $25-$100; 30 days of prison, community service, combination • Non-Emancipated minors (16-17 years) must get parent permission to withdraw 7
What is CHINS? • Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation: House Bill 242, Article 5- Children In Need of Services • Children In Need of Services include children who skip school, run away from home, violate curfew and are habitually disobedient. These behaviors occur in the home or school. • The local school must exhaust all district and community resources as applicable to resolve the student’s attendance concerns prior to petitioning the court to intervene in addressing attendance. 8
What is Truancy? • Truancy is when a student does not have a legal reason for arriving late, skipping a class, missing a whole day or many days of school. • Truancy also includes a child who willfully and repeatedly is absent from school or other learning programs intended to meet the child's educational needs. • Truancy cases are heard in Fulton County Juvenile Court. 9
What Is Educational Neglect/Dependency? • Educational Neglect/Dependency focuses on parents or guardians who fail to enroll and/or send their child or children to school or an alternative education program. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for ensuring that their child or children attend school. Parents and guardians who fail to do so face criminal prosecution. 10
Education Recovery Program • When children ages of 5-11 have attendance issues, the ERP process will focus on the parent. • If a parent is non-compliant with the ERP process the Juvenile Court may recommend that a social worker file a warrant for the parent to appear in Magistrate Court. • The court may conduct a background check for other violations and a parent may be subject to arrest. 11
Excused Absences According to FCBOE District Policy Section J – Students, a student's absence from school or class will be considered excused when it is due to any of the following circumstances: 1. Student illness. 2. Attendance would be unhealthy for the student or others. 3. A serious illness or death in the student's immediate family. 4. Due to a court order or an order issued by a governmental agency. 5. Observance of religious holidays. 6. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to the student's health or safety. 12
Excused Absences 7. Absences not exceeding a total of six (6) days per school year for the following reasons, but only if the absence has been pre-approved by the principal or designee: a. scholarship interviews/college visitations, b. travel opportunity with educational benefits, c. graduation or wedding of an immediate family member, d. specialized, supplemental or extracurricular experience e. other circumstances that are mutually agreeable to the parent and principal, f. up to 5 of these days can be used to visit with a parent or guardian who is on leave from, or is being deployed to, military service overseas. 13
Excused Absences 8. Up to ten (10) instructional days for field trips. 9. Absences as a result of an out-of-school suspension. 10. An absence not to exceed one-half day for registering to vote. Students may register to vote at their high school. 14
Unexcused Absences A student's absence from school or class for any reason other than those previous listed above will be considered an unexcused absence. 15
What are unlawful excuses for missing school? Are these legitimate reasons for being absent? • Parent did not know school schedule Unexcused • Parent or sibling was seriously ill Excused • Child stayed at home to baby-sit Unexcused • Car trouble Unexcused • Child overslept or was sleepy Unexcused • Child did not want to go to school Unexcused • Child missed the bus Unexcused Comments? Questions? Concerns? 16
Extended Absences Parents must inform the administration of their child’s school when their child will be absent for extended periods of time. Fulton County Schools’ principals or designees are authorized to withdraw without parent permission a student who is not receiving hospital homebound instruction and who has accumulated ten (10) or more consecutive days of unexcused absences; (The Principal or designee will use his/her best efforts to notify the parent/guardian or other person who has charge of a student if the School System plans to withdraw the student. The School Social Worker may still pursue truancy interventions with the family.) 17
Excessive Absences Students who have missed ten (10) days of school or more in a school year will be required to provide additional verification including doctors' statements. 18
Written Excuse for an Absence Any student who has been absent from school shall present a satisfactory written excuse to the principal or designee(s) within five(5) days of returning to school. The excuse must state the reason for the absence and be signed by the student's parent or guardian. Excuses will be kept on file at the school at least until the beginning of the next school year. 19
Tardiness A student is tardy when he/she arrives to school after the beginning of the official school day or is not in the assigned class at the official beginning of the class period. 1. Excused Tardy: Late arrival to school or class as a result of events described in this document which are a basis for an excused absence or for events which are physically out of one’s control such as inclement weather, documented transportation delays, or power outages. 2. Unexcused Tardy: Arriving late to school or class with or without the knowledge of parent/guardian, as a result of oversleeping, parent errands, or other reasons not defined as excused. 3. Fifteen (15) unexcused tardies result in a referral to the school social worker. 20
Did you also know missing school… • weakens your child’s confidence in his or her ability to do schoolwork • Reduces the chances that he or she will reach his or her goals, and successfully move to the next grade, or graduate • Lags in Performance (tests/assignments) • Misses Class Instructions • Shapes Negative Attitudes About School • Impacts Academic Success 21
Do student absences affect student achievement? 22
Students Who Miss School • Are more likely to use drugs and to be involved in unlawful activity. • Are often involved in daytime crimes such as auto theft, burglary, vandalism, shoplifting, graffiti, and serious assault. • Often become victims of crimes themselves. 23
Myths About Student Attendance 1. Missing a few days of school each year is normal and doesn’t matter that much. 2. We don’t need to worry about attendance until middle or high school. 3. Most schools already monitor student absences. 4. Because families are ultimately responsible for children getting to school, there’s not much schools can do to improve attendance. 9/20/2017 24 24
Myths About Student Attendance 2. We don’t need to worry about attendance until middle or high school. • While absenteeism is more widespread in middle and high school, it still affects vast numbers of younger students. • Data shows that standardized test scores are significantly affected by elementary students’ attendance patterns, to the point that the number of absences is related to the student’s chances of “passing” the CRCT (Meets or Exceeds). • Elementary students’ school attendance habits often carry over into middle and high school. 9/20/2017 25 25
Recommend
More recommend
