STUDENT ATTENDANCE PROTOCOL JACKSON COUNTY

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1 STUDENT ATTENDANCE PROTOCOL JACKSON COUNTY Introduction This document sets forth a protocol for addressing and reducing truancy and the number of unexcused absences from school among the students in the three school systems in Jackson County. The protocol was formulated by the Jackson County Student Attendance Protocol Committee in accordance with O.C.G.A (2004). The stated purpose of the committee is to ensure coordination and cooperation among officials, agencies, and programs involved in compulsory attendance issues, to reduce the number of unexcused absences from school, and to increase the percentage of students present to take tests which are required by law to be administered. The Student Attendance Protocol Committee includes representatives from the following agencies or entities: Jackson County State Court Jackson County Magistrate Court Jackson County Solicitor s Office Jackson County Juvenile Court Jackson County Department of Juvenile Justice County and City Law Enforcement Jackson County Department of Family and Children Services Jackson County Family Connection Jackson County Advantage Behavioral Health Systems Jackson County Board of Health Commerce City School System Jefferson City School System Jackson County School System The protocol reflects commitments that the participating agencies, offices, and entities have made to promote good school attendance and the educational progress of students in Jackson County. School System Procedures All school systems in Jackson County will track student attendance on a daily basis as required by state law. The codes used for attendance in the student information systems in each school system will be consistent between schools in terms of identifying excused absences, unexcused absences, excused tardies, unexcused tardies, in-school suspensions, and out-of-school suspensions. All schools will specify the reason(s) for excused absences. Pursuant to State Board of Education rules, each local Board of Education (Commerce City, Jefferson City, and Jackson County) will adopt policies and procedures to monitor student attendance and address related issues. All schools will establish and

2 implement building level procedures in accordance with these Board of Education policies. All three school systems will adopt a definition of truancy consistent with the state regulations governing student attendance, and such definition shall be included in Codes of Conduct for students, along with a summary of possible consequences and penalties for violating the state s compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A ). At the beginning of each school year or within 30 days of a student s enrollment, each parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of a student will be provided a written summary of possible consequences and penalties for failing to comply with compulsory attendance regulations. All parents/guardians and all students who are at least ten years of age or older by September 1 will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of such notification. School systems will also assure that the Board of Education policy dealing with student attendance is easily accessible and readily available to parents and students. All schools will utilize the existing Student Support Team (SST) process or will establish another committee structure for the specific purpose of dealing with students who are chronically absent from school. Such other committee structures should include the designation of specific personnel (or positions) to complete the various duties and responsibilities associated with monitoring student attendance and addressing related issues. Through the SST or alternative structure, each school will implement a progressive discipline process and a parental involvement process to be initiated before referring truancy violations to juvenile or other courts. The SST or other designated attendance committee at each school will be responsible for implementing all appropriate building level procedures to address non-compliance with attendance regulations, including efforts to communicate with and involve parents/guardians. School officials should make every practical attempt to deal with students who do not meet established attendance guidelines before referring such cases to the courts. Such efforts on the part of the schools could involve, but are not limited to, attendance clerks and other clerical personnel, teachers, counselors, administrators, social workers, and school resource officers. When a student has accumulated five unexcused absences, the schools will make two reasonable attempts to notify the parents/guardians. This notification will include specific information regarding the student s attendance record to date, the requirements of the state s compulsory attendance law, and possible consequences and penalties for failing to comply. If these two attempts are unsuccessful, the schools will send such notice via certified mail with return receipt requested. When a student has accumulated seven unexcused absences, the schools shall make a referral to the Student Attendance Review Board or, if the circumstances warrant, directly to the court(s). Schools should carefully and systematically document all attempts to involve parents/guardians in efforts to resolve student attendance issues.

3 When the Student Support Team or designated attendance committee determines that all reasonable efforts have been exhausted and that no resolution is at hand, it is appropriate for the school to proceed with a referral to the Student Attendance Review Board, or if the circumstances warrant, directly to the courts. Georgia s compulsory attendance law requires that all children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays be enrolled in and regularly attend an approved educational program. If such educational program is a home study or home school program, school systems are authorized to require the submittal of appropriate attendance documentation on a monthly basis. The responsibility for regular school attendance resides with the student, and violation of the law subjects the student to adjudication in Jackson County Juvenile Court as an unruly child. If a parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child causes the child s absence, then that person, not the child, is in violation of the law. Situations in which a Review Board or court referral may be considered would include, but are not limited to, when students are not attending school at all and there is no cooperation from the student or parents/guardians in resolving the circumstances, when poor attendance is ongoing over a period of time and no significant improvement is seen, and in certain cases when chronic tardiness is a problem. It shall be the policy of all three local Boards of Education in Jackson County to require the Superintendent or his/her designee to use the best efforts available, including certified mail, to notify students age 14 and older when they have only three absences remaining before violating the state s attendance requirements pursuant to O.C.G.A regarding the denial of driver s permits and licenses. In accordance with State Board of Education rule, the three local Boards of Education will adopt uniform criteria for withdrawing students. School systems are authorized to withdraw a student who has accumulated more than 10 consecutive days of unexcused absences, is not subject to compulsory school attendance, and is not receiving instructional services from the local school system through homebound instruction or instructional services required by the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act. Each Superintendent or his/her designee will use his or her best efforts to notify the parent, guardian, or other person who has charge or control of a student if the school system plans to withdraw such student who is younger that 18 years of age and is not subject to compulsory school attendance. School systems are authorized to withdraw a student subject to compulsory attendance if the Superintendent or his/her designee has determined that the student is no longer a legal resident of the school district or is enrolled in a private school or home study program. School systems will withdraw students retroactive to the first day of the consecutive unexcused absences. Student Attendance Review Board The stated purpose of the Student Attendance Protocol Committee is to ensure coordination and cooperation among officials, agencies, and programs involved in compulsory school attendance issues. In order to serve this purpose, the Committee

4 hereby establishes a Student Attendance Review Board, hereinafter referred to as the Review Board. Schools and school systems will have the authority to refer students and their parents/guardians to the Review Board when standard school system procedures have not been effective in resolving issues related to chronic student absenteeism. For the purposes of this protocol, chronic student absenteeism consists of students who have accumulated excessive unexcused absences. However, in situations where there appears to have been ongoing abuse in terms of questionable excused absences or excessive tardies, school systems may also make a referral to the Review Board. Referral to the Review Board will generally be an intermediate step prior to a referral to the court(s). The Review Board will serve two main purposes: to identify and provide appropriate resources to families in an effort to remove obstacles to regular school attendance to assist in developing, monitoring, and enforcing intervention plans formulated to assure that students attend school as directed. To maximize the potential effectiveness of the Review Board, regular and conscientious participation by a number of agencies will be essential. Membership [based on O.C.G.A (2004)] Each of the following agencies shall designate a representative to serve on the Review Board: the Jefferson City School System the Commerce City School System the Jackson County School System Jackson County Department of Family and Children Services Jackson County Department of Juvenile Justice Jackson County Juvenile Court Jackson County Magistrate Court Jackson County State Court Jackson County Solicitor s Office Jackson County Family Connection Jackson County Advantage Behavioral Health Systems County and City Law Enforcement as appropriate. All appointments to the Review Board shall be for the period of one year, January 1 through December 31, and representatives will be allowed to serve consecutive terms based on the recommendation of the appointing agency. The Review Board will designate from these representatives, or will choose in addition to these representatives, a Chairperson and a Coordinator. At a minimum, the duties of the Chairperson shall include: work with the coordinator to process referrals and prepare an agenda for each meeting preside at all meetings of the Review Board

5 summarize any findings and recommendations of the Review Board, including intervention plans. At a minimum, the duties of the Coordinator shall include: collect school system referrals and distribute information concerning meetings to all participating agencies transcribe an official record of each meeting of the Review Board distribute results of meetings, including recommendations and intervention plans, to all applicable agencies maintain all records and official documents related to the functioning of the Review Board. At its discretion, the Review Board may make other assignments to individual members as deemed appropriate. Review Board Procedures The Review Board will schedule one regular meeting each month except for July and August, the meetings to be held at the Jackson County Courthouse. These regular meetings shall be scheduled for a full calendar year, and the dates, times, and location should be communicated to each participating agency as soon as possible each January. The Chairperson has the authority to call a meeting in July and/or August if the need should arise. The meetings of the Review Board should take place in the late afternoon or early evening so as to enable students and parents/guardians to attend and participate. At least two weeks prior to each meeting, school representatives will submit to the Coordinator a list of cases to be placed on the agenda. Information submitted to the Coordinator shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: the student s name, date of birth, school attended, and grade level the name and address of parents/guardians a brief summary of the student s attendance record to date documentation of previous attempts to notify parents/guardians concerning chronic absenteeism by the student. The Review Board will devise a standard referral form for use by the three school systems in the county. Either the school system representative on the Review Board or a designated official at the referring school will notify the student and the parents/guardians regarding the referral to the Review Board and the upcoming meeting. Such notification should include the reason(s) for the referral and the date, time, and location of the Review Board meeting. Notifications should be delivered to parents/guardians in such a manner as to reasonably assure receipt, including such methods as the following: hand delivery by school officials, either in the school setting or through a home visit regular first class mail delivery with telephone confirmation certified mail, return receipt requested hand delivery by a law enforcement officer.

6 The notification should make it clear that participation by the parents/guardians is required and should state that failure to attend will result in a referral to the court(s). At least one week prior to the meeting, the Coordinator will distribute to all Review Board members a list of the cases to be addressed at the upcoming meeting. The Chairperson and the Coordinator will work together to prepare an agenda for the meeting. The Chairperson shall be responsible for calling to order and otherwise presiding at all meetings of the Review Board. If the Chairperson is unable to attend a meeting of the Review Board, the three school system representatives will be responsible for assuming the duties of the Chair on a rotating basis. Each school system representative will be required to attend Review Board meetings only when a case from his/her system is scheduled to be discussed or reviewed. When a case comes before the Review Board for consideration, the school system representative on the Board or an official from the student s school (e.g., administrator, counselor, social worker) will summarize background information and the reason(s) for the referral. This summary should focus on the student s attendance record and any attempts by the school to resolve attendance issues with the student and/or parents/guardians. The student and the parents/guardians should also have the opportunity to provide any relevant information they would like for the Review Board to consider. Intervention Plans All cases brought before the Review Board will result in the formulation of an intervention plan. Such plan should be specific in terms of the requirements to be met and the parameters by which compliance will be evaluated. The plan should also include any resources or assistance to be provided to the student and/or parents/guardians by agencies or officials participating in the Review Board process. Every effort should be made to assure the proper and efficient use of available community resources to assist the student and family. All cases brought before the Review Board will remain on active status for a minimum of three months, excluding July and August. School system representatives will communicate and work closely with the student s school to monitor and evaluate progress on plan compliance. After three months, cases may become inactive at the recommendation of the school system representative if sufficient progress has been observed. All cases may be returned to active status at any time if problems persist or reoccur. The intervention plan may be modified by the Review Board as they see fit during the time the case is on active status. Ongoing failure or refusal to meet the parameters of an intervention plan shall result in a referral to the court(s), and such referral can be made at any time in the initial three month evaluation period, or at any time the case is on active status. Failure or refusal on the part of students and parents/guardians to attend meetings and otherwise participate in the Review Board process shall also result in court referrals.