Students should be expected to attend school and all classes regularly and to be punctual. There is a significant relationship between regular attendance and academic achievement and completion of a school program. Regular attendance assists students in the development of self-discipline and good work habits. These habits generally remain with the students as they enter the world of work. It is essential to teach the benefits of and encourage good attendance and punctuality during a student’s educational career.

 

Regular attendance is a shared responsibility by the community, the home, students, and school personnel, and we must work together to promote it to the fullest extent possible.

 

The full Kent County Public Schools Attendance Procedure is posted here.

Students should be expected to attend school and all classes regularly and to be punctual. There is a significant relationship between regular attendance and academic achievement and completion of a school program. Regular attendance assists students in the development of self-discipline and good work habits. These habits generally remain with the students as they enter the world of work. It is essential to teach the benefits of and encourage good attendance and punctuality during a student’s educational career.

 

Regular attendance is a shared responsibility by the community, the home, students, and school personnel, and we must work together to promote daily attendance to the fullest extent possible.

 

Students who are pregnant or parenting will need a process that clarifies their ability to receive continuity of instruction, classroom participation, and learning experiences. Certain circumstances related to pregnancy or parenting should be certified absences from school and allow students to make up work from these absences.

 

The following procedures are to provide guidelines and standards for student

attendance.

 

II. Definitions 

Within the context of these procedures, the following definitions apply:

 

A. Absence - A student is not physically present on school grounds and not participating in instruction or instruction-related activities at an approved off-grounds location for less than 10% of the school day.

 

B. Attendance - The act of being physically present at school or a school-related activity during the school day.

 

C. Attendance Source Documents - Records that are maintained by classroom teachers, homeroom teachers, substitute teachers, or other staff members that document the students’ attendance.

 

D. Full Day - A student is attending an instructional program approved by the State, local school system, and/or school for greater than half of the school day.

 

E. Half Day - A student is attending an instructional program approved by the State, local school system, and/or school for 10%-50% of the school day.

 

F. Tardy - A student who arrives after the official start of the school day will be considered tardy.

 

G. Early Leave - A student who is picked up from school and/or leaves before the official end of the school day is considered to have early leave.

 

H. Chronically Absent - A student who is absent from school for 10% or more of the school days and in membership for 10 school days in any given marking period, semester, or academic year for unlawful reasons.

 

I. Habitually Truant - A student who meets ALL the following criteria during the school year:

1. Was age 5 through 20 years of age

2. Was enrolled in the Kent County Public School System for 91 or more days

3. Was unlawfully absent for 20% or more of the total days of enrollment

 

J. Lawful Absence - An excused absence for any portion of the day under the following conditions, which can be certified by a treating medical or behavioral health professional, public official, or school official.

1. Death in the immediate family

2. Illness of the student

3. Behavioral health need (mental health)

4. Court summons

5. Hazardous weather conditions

6. Work approved or sponsored by the school

7. Observance of a religious holiday

8. State of emergency

9. Suspension

10. Lack of authorized transportation

11. Other emergency or set of circumstances which, in the judgment of the Superintendent or designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence from school

 

K. Unlawful Absence - An unexcused absence, including absence for any portion of the day, for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and may constitute truancy. Students unlawfully absent are considered truant.

 

L. School-related Activity - Any school system activity, whether held on or off school property, in which a student directly participated, or in which the student does not directly participate but represents the school or student body simply by being there.

 

M. Truant - A student who is absent for a day or any portion of a day for any reason other than those cited as lawful in COMAR 13A.08.01.03 and/or failure to bring a note written by a parent/guardian to verify a lawful absence.

 

N. Adoption - The legal process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another child and the permanent transfer of all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from that child’s biological parent or parents.

 

O. Custodial Parent - The parent who has either sole of physical custody of the child or the parent with whom the child resides for a majority of the time.

 

P. Visitation - The permission granted by the court to a parent to visit his/her

child or children.

 

Q. Parent - A person who is or is acting as the mother or father of a child.

 

III. Standards 

A. The minimal standard is 94% attendance per marking period for all students. This standard considers both lawful and unlawful absences.

 

B. A student shall not be absent from school in excess of (4) four days in any single marking period for reasons coded as unlawful. Half days will accumulate. Two half days will equal one full day.

 

C. Any absences coded as lawful will not count against the three (3) four (4) day limit but will be considered when implementing interventions.

 

D. Students who are tardy to school more than 20% of any marking period will be referred to Student Services for possible involvement from the Kent County States Attorney’s Office.

 

E. The parent/guardian of each student must provide the necessary certification for lawful absences on the day that the student returns to school following the absence. If the necessary certification is not received by the school within three (3) school days, the absences(s) will be coded as unlawful, and the student will be considered as having been truant.

 

F. Parent notes are appreciated for communication but are not required and will not serve as excused/lawful absences. Any absences beyond the four (4) days maximum number of unlawful absences will require a lawful excuse.

 

G. A visit to a post-secondary institution may be coded as a lawful absence by a high school administrator provided the student produces written confirmation of the visit.

 

 

A. Student attendance is directly related to academic achievement. Student performance and grades may suffer due to excessive absences from school.

 

B. Parents will be notified when a student has any absences coded as unlawful.

 

C. Interventions regarding student attendance may include one or more of the following actions (school officials may waive these actions when they are aware of circumstances beyond the student’s control such as documented chronic illnesses, etc.):

1. Parents/Guardians will be notified via telephone upon a student’s absence from school

2. Continued absence and/or tardiness of the student will result in the initiation of one or more of the following actions:

a. Conference with parent, student, and the principal or designee

b. Letter to parent/guardian

c. Referral to school-based Student Services Team

d. Referral to County’s Truancy Reduction Program

e. Referral to Director of Student Services

f. A requirement to make up lost instructional time

g. Written attendance contract

h. Removal of school privileges

i. Restriction of extracurricular activities

j. Referral to Kent County State’s Attorney’s Office for violation of the compulsory attendance law

 

V. Make-Up Work 

A. Make-up work for absences will follow the KCPS grading policy.

 

The Director of Student Services will work with all schools’ principals to review the prescribed procedures in the Kent County Public Schools’ Administrative Handbook.

 

A. Attendance-Monitoring Procedure

1. Record-keeping format: A system-wide attendance-keeping format to comply with state and school system policy and regulations has been developed and is incorporated in the student database.

2. The principal of each school will establish procedures for the verification of student absences and tardiness. These procedures will be disseminated to each student at the beginning of each school year.

3. Reporting absences:

a. A daily attendance record will be maintained of each student’s tardiness, absence from school, and early leave.

b. A record of each student’s lawful and unlawful absences from an individual class will be recorded and maintained.

c. Upon returning to school from an excused absence, a student is required to bring written certification from a treating medical or behavioral health professional, public official, or school official stating the reason for each absence.

4. Attendance monitoring system will provide information on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis that can be used to identify students with problematic attendance, tardiness, and early leave patterns so corrective measures may be instituted.

5. Attendance monitoring system will provide information on students with chronic absenteeism and/or tardiness to the Office of Student Services so that causes may be determined, and remedies applied to improve attendance and punctuality of these students.

 

Each school shall provide information on the attendance regulations to each student at the beginning of each school year and will provide similar information to each new enrollee during the school year. This information may be part of a Student Handbook or may be distributed as an entity within itself. Teachers responsible for homeroom or first period activities in each school will be charged with the responsibility of reviewing attendance regulations with students at the beginning of each school year. Individuals responsible for the entry of students during the school year will review attendance regulations with new students as part of the registration process. A student that is absent due to a behavioral or mental health need, shall be provided with information to the student’s parent or guardian about school and community behavioral/mental health resources.

The principal of each school shall establish strategies and incentives to encourage regular school attendance. Students who meet the minimal 94% standard shall be recognized at the end of each marking period. This minimal standard shall include both lawful and unlawful absences.

 

A. The Superintendent/designee is responsible for monitoring standards and procedures related to attendance as set forth in state law and policy.

B. Principals are responsible for informing staff, students, and parents annually of the provisions in these procedures.

 

C. Principals are responsible for assigning and overseeing personnel to monitor the recording of daily/period attendance, the reporting of student absences (lawful and unlawful), and the entering and withdrawing of students for purposes of enrollment.

 

D. Teachers are responsible for maintaining daily/period attendance electronically in accordance with guidelines outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual. High school and middle school teachers are required to maintain class period attendance electronically.

 

E. Teachers are responsible for providing make-up work for students who are lawfully and unlawfully absent from school.

 

F. Students are responsible for completing and submitting make up work when they are absent.

 

G. Students are responsible for attending school or a school related activity each day that school is in session.

 

H. Parents/Guardians are responsible for providing necessary documentation when a student is lawfully absent from school.

 

I. Parents/Guardians are responsible for making sure their child is in school every day school is in session.

 

J. School-based problem-solving teams are responsible for monitoring students with attendance issues, developing and implementing interventions, and providing support for those students who are chronically absent or habitually truant.

 

A. A student’s absence due to a student’s pregnancy is a lawful absence

B. A student’s absence due to parenting needs is a lawful absence

C. Refer to procedure 600-26, Pregnant and Parenting Students for further information referencing attendance.

ED 7-301 – 305

ED 7-301.1

ED 7-301.3

COMAR 13A.08.01.02 – 05

COMAR 13A.08.01.06