6000
SUBJECT:
COMPREHENSIVE
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The
WSWHE BOCES recognizes that student attendance in school
is an important component of student success.
Student interaction with teachers and other
students in class helps to enhance the academic learning
experience and provides a basis by which students can
demonstrate competence and beyond to mastery.
Pursuant
to Section 104.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of
Education, this comprehensive attendance policy contains
the following sections:
Rationale
(statement of objectives of the policy);
Reporting
System (strategies to meet objectives; excused and
unexcused absence, tardy and early departure);
Coding
System for Absences
Attendance
and Course Credit
Interventions
(incentives and/or sanctions);
Analysis
of Attendance Data; and
Communication
Rationale
Every
student has a right to educational opportunities that will
enable the student to develop to his or her fullest
potential. Daily
attendance in school and class is an expectation and
responsibility of both the student and parent/guardian.
However,
each year some students accumulate an excessive number of
absences from school. In
some cases, verified illness is the cause, and in other
cases, the absences are a direct result of disinterest or
lack of concern for school.
High rates of absenteeism have an impact on the
entire school population.
Numerous
studies link attendance with student achievement. Therefore, increased student attendance will result in improved
student achievement. Given
this research, we believe that by improving student
attendance the following will occur:
Improved
student attitude
Improved
student achievement
Improved
classroom productivity, which enhances
An
environment conducive to teaching and learning.
An
effective attendance policy is crucial to a good
education. Attendance policies are based on the principle that regular school
attendance maximizes the student’s interaction with his
or her teachers and peers, and is a major component of
academic success. Improved
school attendance procedures that provide for the early
identification of attendance problems and effective
methods to address them are most likely to succeed.
Successful
implementation of any attendance procedure requires
cooperation among all members of the education community,
including parents/guardians, students, teachers,
administrators, and support staff from BOCES and home
schools. Differences
exist in attendance policies between home schools and
BOCES. This BOCES attendance policy applies to students
who take courses at BOCES; the home school policy applies
to students in their home school courses.
Reporting
System
A. Strategies to meet objectives
A
system of student attendance recordkeeping in each school
or program shall provide an accurate record of each
student’s presence, absence, tardy, and early departure.
The register of attendance shall set forth the
following for each student:
Name
Date
of birth;
Full
name(s) of parent(s)/guardian(s);
Address
where the student resides;
Phone
number(s) to contact the parent(s)/guardian(s);
Date
of the student’s enrollment;
Record
of student’s attendance on each day of scheduled
instruction;
Date
the student withdraws or is dropped from enrollment, where
applicable; and
Record
of when the school was closed for all or part of the day
because of extraordinary weather conditions or school
building emergencies.
Each
BOCES teacher is responsible to record and report
attendance daily. The
teacher to whom the student is assigned (for each period,
as appropriate) shall make all entries.The entries in the
register of attendance shall be verified by the oath or
affirmation of the individual(s) making the entries in the
register of attendance and any electronic system.
The
administrator of each program or school shall have the
responsibility of supervising the keeping of attendance.
The program administrator shall also be charged
with reviewing student attendance records periodically for
the purpose of initiating appropriate action to address
unexcused student absence, tardy and early departure.
Process
Beginning
in the 2003-2004 school year:
Attendance
shall include a student’s presence/absence, tardy and
early departure.
Attendance
is to be taken daily at the elementary level and
for non-departmentalized (self-contained) secondary
classes (including classes in component schools).
Mainstreaming experiences are considered
self-contained (non-departmentalized) program activities.
Presence/Absence:
Attendance is to be taken when the instructional session
begins and reported no later than 10 minutes after the
start of the session, including period by period at departmentalized
middle and high school levels.
Students who are not present at those times will be
marked absent.
For
career and technical education (CTE) where a student does
not attend a “pullout” class: attendance is taken at
the beginning of each session.
For students who leave CTE to attend a
“pullout” class, attendance is taken by the pullout
teacher on a period-by-period basis.
Tardy
and early departure: A student shall be regarded for
credit purposes as being absent from class under this
section of the policy if he or she misses more than 50% of
class time.
Late
passes: It is the responsibility of teachers to issue late
passes for students who have been detained by a teacher
and who will be late to another class.
Early
departure:
A
student must report to the office and sign out.
B. Excused vs. unexcused absence, tardy and early
departure
Any
absence for a school day or portion thereof shall be
recorded as excused or unexcused.
In the event that a student at any instructional
level arrives late to class and without a pass, or departs
early from scheduled instruction, such tardy or early
departure shall be recorded as excused or unexcused.
The
following reasons for student absence, tardy and early
departure shall be considered by the BOCES to be excused:
Personal
illness, including doctor and/or hospital appointments
Extended
illness (three consecutive days or more) or chronic health
condition (as documented by a physician’s note).
All excuses for extended illness or health issues
shall be submitted within three days of the student’s
return to school in order to be considered as an excused
absence.
Immediate
family illness*
In-school
disciplinary actions or suspension (unless the student
fails to attend alternate instruction)
Other
(including religious observance, death in immediate
family*, required court appearance, military obligations,
etc.)
Home
school-excused absence
BOCES-excused
absence (including related services, field trips, etc.)
No
school transportation
Responsibilities
of parents/guardians to notify the BOCES to excuse an
absence, tardy or early departure are contained in Section
VIIA.
*
Immediate family = brother, sister, parents/guardians,
grandparents, spouse or child.
The definition may be expanded at the District
Superintendent’s discretion.
Coding
System Identifying Reasons for Absence, Tardy, or Early
Departure
On
the initial day of any Absence, Tardy, or Early Departure,
the teacher shall note it.
A determination will be made subsequently of
whether the absence, tardy or early departure is excused
or unexcused and the reason.
For any absence, tardy or early departure that is
excused, the coding system shall identify the reason for
such. An
absence, tardy or early departure shall be assumed to be
unexcused until the BOCES teacher receives either oral or
written confirmation that such absence, tardy or early
departure is in fact excused with appropriate reason. (See
Section VIIA.)
System
Absence Codes
A Excused - Individual/family illness
B Excused – BOCES (e.g. related services, field
trip, Alternative Learning Environment)
C
Excused – Home school suspension
D Excused – BOCES suspension
E Excused – Bus suspension
F Excused – other home school
activities/court/bereavement/religious observance/military
obligations
G Excused – school transportation
H Unexcused
I
Tardy – (excused) - as indicated above
J
Tardy – (unexcused)
K
Early departure (excused) – use note field to
indicate time
Student
Attendance and Course Credit
The
BOCES recognizes that regular attendance in class is
essential to the total learning process.
Although some class absence may be unavoidable,
each student is expected to make every effort to attend
each assigned class. The
underlying rationale for an attendance policy that denies
course credit for non-attendance is based on a recognition
of the vital role classroom attendance and participation
plays in academic achievement.
For
BOCES to recommend to a home school that a student receive
credit for a course, the student must attend regular class
meetings. For a full-credit course, 18 days of unexcused absence (or, on a
prorated basis, 10% of the possible days of attendance)
shall result in BOCES not recommending credit to the home
school (or not recommending a student for promotion
towards an IEP certificate or GED testing). For a half-credit course, 9 days of unexcused absence (or 10%
of the possible days of attendance) shall result in BOCES
not recommending credit to the home school (or not
recommending a student for promotion towards an IEP
certificate or GED testing).
Any
student absence that is properly excused shall not be
counted as an absence for the purpose of determining the
student’s eligibility for course credit under this
policy.
It
shall be the student’s responsibility to obtain all
make-up work from his or her BOCES teacher(s) immediately
upon return to the BOCES course or to school.
Make-up work shall be submitted to the teacher(s)
within two days after the excused absence to be reviewed
and graded by the teacher. (Note: Even with excused
absences, a student must still pass the course).
Every program and/or teacher will have a grading
policy that will have a percentage of the class grade
allocated for daily class participation. The percentage is determined by each program or teacher for each
class. However,
students with either excused or unexcused absences cannot
make-up the “class participation” part of their grade.
A
tardy or early departure may be excused or unexcused. If excused, the student shall perform the necessary make-up work
within the allotted time, in order for the tardy or early
departure not to be counted as an unexcused absence for
the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility for
course credit under this policy.
Responsibilities
of parents/guardians to notify the BOCES to excuse an
absence, tardy or early departure are contained in Section
VIIA.
APPEAL
PROCESS
When
a student reaches 18 days (or 10% of the possible days of
attendance)* of unexcused absence, his/her record will be
reviewed and verified by a BOCES administrator.
Following verification, written notification to
parents/guardians and home school staff (e.g. CSE, home
school principal) will be made of the denial of course
credit recommendation. A
meeting to review the student’s attendance record may be
held at the request of parents/guardians or home school
staff.
The
only basis for an appeal is whether attendance was taken
or recorded correctly. The
process to be used by parents/guardians would be:
1. To request a meeting with the teacher to review the
student’s attendance record;
2.
To request a follow-up review meeting, if
necessary, with the principal or program administrator;
and
To
request a review of the attendance record with the
District Superintendent.
If
the home school does not follow the recommendation of the
BOCES, the appeal should be made to the home school
administration.
*
No more than 18 days absent in a 180-day school
year, or prorated accordingly.
Interventions
Student
attendance may be positively affected by the use of
incentives to encourage student attendance and
disciplinary sanctions to discourage unexcused student
absence, tardy and early departure from school.
Incentives
Positive
primary intervention helps improve student attendance by
providing an atmosphere that responds to meeting the
personal needs of the students by building
self-confidence
and self-management skills.
Behavioral rewards specific to each program should
focus on improving self-esteem and attendance.
Examples of this can be:
School
assemblies recognizing students;
Parent/guardian
calls of a positive nature;
Perfect
attendance (by attendance period): certificate of
recognition, SABEA or other agency monetary award;
Perfect
attendance (quarterly): certificate of recognition, SABEA
or other agency monetary award;
Perfect
attendance (yearly): SABEA monetary award/certificate;
Attendance
improvement award: earning of school activity privileges;
Recognize
perfect attendance and attendance improvements made by
students.
Incentives
to be used to improve student attendance will continue to
be developed by groups such as student government and
site-based committees.
Sanctions
Disciplinary
sanctions shall be available for use by the BOCES program
according to the Code of Conduct and Behavior Management
System in order to discourage a student absence, tardy or
early departure or a pattern of such by a student.
The
District Superintendent or designee is charged with the
task of monitoring the effectiveness of the use of
incentives and disciplinary sanctions in each of the
programs and schools. The
annual report to the BOCES on the analysis of attendance
patterns may also include the use of incentives and
sanctions in each school.
Analysis
of Attendance Data
In
order to increase student attendance in each school
building and across all BOCES programs, it is important to
identify patterns of student absence, tardy or early
departure. Then,
specific intervention strategies can be employed in an
attempt to change such patterns.
The
principal of each school and administrator of each program
is charged by the BOCES to be the person responsible for
reviewing student attendance records and initiating
appropriate actions at the building and program level to
analyze, review, and address unexcused student absence,
tardy or early departure.
Each
BOCES division director also shall be charged with
monitoring overall student attendance and determining and
addressing specific patterns of student absence, tardy or
early departure. Committees
at the divisional level shall be comprised of the
director, at least one instructional administrator, a
school nurse, and teachers and other support staff, as
determined by the director.
The
committee shall meet quarterly, and shall identify
patterns of unexcused absence, tardy or early departure
and the divisional intervention strategies to be employed
by teachers and other school staff to address these
patterns. Minutes
of each meeting of this committee shall be kept and shall
be sent to the District Superintendent and designee for
information and review.
Communication
Notice
to parents/guardians
Any
student absence, tardy or early departure other than those
specified is considered by the BOCES to be unexcused.
It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians
to obtain the appropriate excuse and notify the program
office by telephone. As
a follow-up to any oral notification, parents/guardians
may be required to provide a written excuse, including the
reason(s). If
proper written excuse for the absence or tardy is not
received by the school from the parent/guardian after
three school days, a telephone call may be made to the
parent/guardian to notify him/her of the need for proper
excuse of the child’s absence or tardy.
A
parental note must accompany any early departure request.
Without said note, the student shall not be
released.
NOTIFICATION
Notice
to the student’s parents/guardians, and to home schools
regarding absences, and the strategies that shall be
employed, including prior to recommending denial of course
credit to the student for insufficient attendance, shall
be as follows:
When
a student is absent, tardy or departs early from a BOCES
course or from school, a call will be made home and a fax
sent to the home school that day.
After
five days of unexcused absence from a BOCES course, the
teacher will meet with the student upon his/her return and
determine an intervention plan (with the student, where
appropriate).
After
10 days of unexcused absence from a BOCES course, an Intervention
Process meeting will be scheduled within 48 hours
(using the school calendar) to recommend intervention
strategies and to develop an attendance contract.
The contract, agreed to by the school and the
family, may include the requirement that all future
absences shall be considered to be unexcused unless official
documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, court notice, home
school letter, etc.) is provided.
The meeting will be convened by the BOCES teacher
and coordinated by a counselor or case manager, as
appropriate. It may
involve but will inform:
BOCES
program administrator
Parent/guardian
Home
school representative
Student,
where appropriate
If
there are more than 15 days unexcused absences from a
BOCES course, an Intervention Process meeting will
be arranged within 48 hours (using the school
calendar) in order to develop additional strategies to
improve attendance. The BOCES program administrator will
coordinate this meeting and inform and involve:
BOCES
classroom teacher
Home
school representative
BOCES
counseling staff
Parent/guardian
Student,
where appropriate
Notice
to Home School
A
fax will be sent daily notifying each home school of
student absences from a BOCES program or course.
When
a student reaches 18 days (or 10% of the possible days of
attendance)* of unexcused absence, his/her record will be
reviewed and verified by a BOCES administrator.
Following verification, notification to
parents/guardians and home school staff (e.g. CSE, home
school principal) will be made of the denial of course
credit recommendation.
If
at any time a pattern of excused or unexcused absences is
recognized, an intervention meeting may be convened at
BOCES discretion to investigate the reason(s) for the
pattern, to recommend intervention strategies, and to
develop an attendance contract.
The contract, agreed to by the school and the
family, may include the requirement that all future
absences shall be considered to be unexcused unless
official documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, court
notice, home school letter, etc.) is provided.
*
No more than 18 days absent in a 180-day school
year, or prorated accordingly.
Dissemination
All
staff will be provided with a copy of the comprehensive
attendance policy and any amendment to such policy
following the initial adoption or amendment of the policy.
New staff members shall receive a copy of the
comprehensive attendance policy upon commencement of
employment with the BOCES.
The policy will also be available in the
Instructional Employee Handbook.
All
students will be provided with a plain language summary at
the beginning of the school year or upon their entry into
a program. Copies of the complete policy will be available at each program
office.
The
BOCES shall provide a plain language summary of the policy
to the parents/guardians at the beginning of each school
year and take other steps to promote the understanding of
such policy by students and their parents/guardians.
Copies of the comprehensive attendance policy shall
be available in the office of the District Superintendent
and in each school and BOCES program building, and will be
provided to any member of the community upon request.
Annual
review by the BOCES
The
BOCES shall annually review overall student attendance and
the student attendance records for each division and BOCES
program or school. Should
such records demonstrate a decline in student attendance,
the BOCES shall have an opportunity to amend the
comprehensive attendance policy and make any revisions to
the policy deemed necessary to improve student attendance.
Any such amendment to the comprehensive attendance
policy shall be provided in writing to each staff member
after adoption of the amendment by the BOCES.
Adopted:
June 12, 2002
Revised:
June 11, 2003
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6020
SUBJECT:
STUDENT REFERRAL AND PLACEMENT
Student
Referral
The BOCES strives to provide optional educational
opportunities for referred students, including students
with unique educational needs.
Participation in BOCES programs augments local
district educational opportunities.
Referral to BOCES programs is made by the home
school district.
Placement
Initial class placement of students in all BOCES
programs shall be the responsibility of appropriate BOCES
personnel in cooperation with home school district
personnel. Class
placements shall take place only after all available
information has been analyzed and the student has been recommended by appropriate local school district
personnel for such placement.
All class placements shall be administered and
conducted in accordance with accepted practices and the
Education Laws and Regulations of the Commissioner.
Class placement within a program (i.e. section or
classroom) shall be determined by the appropriate BOCES
administrator.
Student
Physical and Health Screening
Health records, physicals, etc. may be required of
any student to insure their safe and appropriate
participation in any BOCES program.
Adopted: March 13, 2002
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6030
SUBJECT:
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Corporal punishment as a means of discipline shall
not be used against a student by any teacher,
administrator, officer, employee or agent of the BOCES.
However, if alternative procedures and methods
eliminating the use of physical force and any of the
following conditions occur, then the use of reasonable
physical force is not prohibited.
a)
To protect oneself from physical injury;
b)
To protect another student or teacher or any other
person from physical injury;
c) To protect the property of the school or of others;
or
d)
To restrain or remove a student whose behavior is
interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of
school district functions, powers or duties, if that
student has refused to comply with a request to refrain
from further disruptive acts; provided that alternative
procedures and methods not involving the use of physical
force cannot reasonably be employed to achieve the
purposes set forth above.
Whenever a school employee uses physical force
against a student the school employee shall make an
immediate written report to his/her supervisor describing
in detail the circumstances and the nature of the action
taken.
Adopted:
March 13, 2002
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6040
SUBJECT:
LOSS OR DESTRUCTION OF BOCES PROPERTY
BOCES maintains several buildings and much valuable
equipment. Every
effort is made to keep buildings and equipment in
excellent condition. Damage
to buildings or loss of equipment results in added costs
to the taxpayers of the BOCES area.
The District Superintendent is authorized and
directed to take all appropriate steps to recover damages
caused to the buildings or grounds.
Education Law Section 1709(36)
General
Municipal Law 78-a
General
Obligation Law 3112
Adopted:
March 13, 2002
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6050
SUBJECT:
STUDENT DRESS CODE
All students are expected to give proper attention
to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for
school and school functions. Students and their
parents/guardians have the primary responsibility for
acceptable student dress and appearance. Teachers and all
other district personnel should exemplify and reinforce
acceptable student dress and help students develop an
understanding of appropriate appearance in the school
setting.
A student's dress, grooming and appearance,
including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up and nails,
should:
1.
Be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere
with the educational process.
Recognize
that extremely revealing garments such as tube or tank
tops, net tops,
halter-tops, spaghetti straps, plunging necklines (front
and/or back) and see-through garments are not appropriate.
Ensure
that outer clothing completely covers underwear.
Wear
appropriate footwear at all times. Footwear that is a
safety hazard will not be allowed.
Not
include items that are vulgar, obscene, and libelous or
denigrate others on account of race, color, religion,
creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or
disability.
Not
promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco or
illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent
activities.
Be
appropriate: accessories such as large chains or spiked
items are not allowed.
Not
depict gang affiliations in anyway such as colors,
insignia, or other distinguishing symbols.
Each
building principal or his or her designee shall be
responsible for informing all students and their
parents/guardians of the student dress code at the
beginning of the school year and any revisions to the
dress code made during the school year.
Students
who violate the student dress code shall be required to
modify their appearance by covering or removing the
offending item and, if necessary or practical, replacing
it with an acceptable item. Any student who refuses to do
so shall be subject to discipline, up to and including
in-school suspension for the day. Any student who
repeatedly fails to comply with the dress code shall be
subject to further discipline, up to and including out of
school suspension.
Adopted:
March 13, 2002
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6060
SUBJECT:
INTERROGATION AND SEARCHES
School authorities will provide discipline and
security as agents of the state. School authorities will conduct a search of a student's person
where sufficient cause for such a search exists. School authorities will search a student's locker when it is
suspected that contraband has been secreted into a
student's locker. The
student has no reasonable expectation of privacy in a
locker over which the school authorities retain extensive
control. School
authorities shall provide students with notice that the
student has no reasonable expectation of privacy in school
lockers. Police
authorities may be summoned to the school grounds to
prevent personal injury and serious property damage.
If it is determined that a locker search is
necessary, the student to which the locker is assigned and
two school officials must be present during the search
whenever possible. However,
school officials have the authority and responsibility to
inspect student lockers without the student and/or
parents/legal guardians present, including days on which
school is not in session.
If
police are involved in the questioning of students on
school premises, whether or not at the request of school
authorities, it will be in accordance with applicable law
and due process rights afforded students.
Generally, police authorities may only interview
students on school premises without the permission of the
parent/guardian in situations where a warrant has been
issued for the student’s arrest (or removal) or the
questioning of students concerns a crime committed on
school property. If
the police wish to speak to a student without a warrant,
they should take the matter up directly with the
student’s parent/guardians.
In the event the police have a warrant for the
arrest of a student, administrators should cooperate fully
but make every effort to notify parents/legal guardians
and the home school districts.
Students have all their entitled rights inside or
outside of the school building. Parents or guardians of minors, and others where appropriate, shall
be notified.
Adopted: November 13, 2002
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6070
SUBJECT:
POSSESSION OR USE OF A FIREARM ON SCHOOL
PROPERTY
No
student may bring onto school premises or shall have in
his or her possession on school premises any firearms, as
defined in federal law. For purposes of this policy the
term "firearm" shall mean: any weapon (including
a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily
be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an
explosive; the frame or receiver of such weapon; any
firearm muffler or silencer or any destructive device (18
USC §921).
In
accordance with the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994, any
student found guilty of bringing a firearm onto school
premises, or of having such firearm in his or her
possession on school premises, after a hearing has been
provided under Education Law §3214, will be subject to at
least a one-year suspension from school, unless the
component school superintendent imposes a lesser penalty
on a case-by-case basis. The superintendent shall review
the penalty and may modify the penalty based on factors
set forth in Part 100.2 of the Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education and in Commissioner's decisional
law. Those factors may include:
The
age of the student;
The
student's grade in school;
The
student's prior disciplinary record;
Input
from parents/guardians, teachers and/or others;
Other
extenuating circumstances; and
The
superintendent's belief that other forms of discipline in
place of or in conjunction with suspension will be more
appropriate for the particular student.
Authorized
law enforcement officers are the only people permitted on
school property to have a weapon in their possession.
In
the case of the student who is classified as disabled
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and Part 200 of the Regulations of the
