Attendance Plan

Attendance Plan

• Requirement: All students between the ages of 5 and 18 must attend school daily.
• Definition: Chronic Absence is when a student misses 10% or more of the school year for any reason, excused or unexcused.
• Definition: A student is absent when not in school or a class with or without the prior knowledge and consent of parents, guardians, or school personnel. A student not in class but on a school-approved activity will have the absence recorded as “excused” (see Verified Absence below.)
• Definition: A school-approved extracurricular activity is when a student not is in school or class as a result of participation in a school-sponsored/sanctioned event, practice, competition, contest, meeting etc. Students are permitted a total of fifteen (15) school-approved extracurricular absences per semester.

Verified Absences:

• A student is absent from school with prior knowledge and consent of a parent and written verification to the school. A student is absent from school with personal illness, doctors’ appointments, death in the family, religious commitment, diagnostic commitment, extenuating circumstances, as agreed by the administrator prior to the absence and approved school activities. Student must verify absences by written method within 24 hours of returning to school.
• Upon returning from an absence(s), student(s) shall request makeup work and will have one day per one day of absence to make up work unless the teacher and/or school administrator allow additional time.
• Students will be expected to take final exams and End of Course exams on the day they are scheduled. Students may be allowed to make up final exams and End of Course exams if the absence is excused.
All absences (excused & unexcused):
• TIER 1. A student will be in need of whole school prevention when a student has an absentee rate below 5% to include excused and unexcused absences. Whole school prevention strategies will be implemented to support attendance. Attendance supports may include activities (such as whole school campaigns), class attendance competitions, parental notification of student absence through tele-parent or electronic communication, positive behavioral supports (PBIS) to create welcoming school/classroom climates, education nights, social contracts, extra-curricular activities, and attendance incentives.
• Tier 2. A student will be in need of individualized prevention when a student reaches 5%-9.9% of absentee rate to include excused & unexcused absences. A phone call will be made from the school site to the parent or guardian to talk to the parent of the student about attendance history, impact of absences on academic outcomes, interventions and services available and consequences of further absences.
• Tier 3. A student will be a student in need of early interventions when a student reaches 10%-19.9% absentee rate to include excused & unexcused absences. A letter will be sent from the school site to the parent or guardian (date, time, place) requesting a meeting with the attendance team to provide intervention strategies that focus on keeping the student in an educational setting.
• Tier 4. A student will be in need of intensive support when a student reaches 20% or more of absentee rate to include excused & unexcused absences. A letter will be sent from the school site to the parent or guardian (date, time, place) requesting a meeting with the attendance team or principal to establish non-punitive consequences at the school level and to identify appropriate specialized supports that may be needed to help the student address the underlying causes of excessive absenteeism. Parent(s) and student(s) will be advised of consequences of further absences.

Student/Family Referral to CYFD:

• The Attendance for Success Department will after consultation with the attendance team, administrator or designee shall report the student to the Valencia County Juvenile Probation and Parole Office for investigation as to whether the student should be considered to be neglected or a family in need of services.
• If JPO determines that the student is a child in a family in need of services, a caseworker shall meet with the family at the school site to determine if there are other services that may be provided. The meeting shall include the principal or other school personnel, and unless the family objects in writing, any appropriate community service partners that assist Valencia County children and families. The Children Youth & Families Department shall determine if additional interventions, including monitoring, will positively affect the student(s) attendance behavior.

Native American Students:
• Notification and referrals will be made to the tribal attendance office in which a tribal student resides for intervention services.

Student Attendance Success Teams:
• Each school site will maintain a Student Attendance Success Team that will address attendance related issues. The student success team will be composed of an administrator(s), counselor(s), teacher(s), attendance secretary, attendance liaison coordinator, and any other personnel deemed necessary by the school administrator.
• The Los Lunas Schools Attendance Department will keep a data base of all students that are receiving intervention services and to ensure that the service providers are supporting the student and family.
• The Los Lunas Schools Attendance Department will conduct home visits and coordinate interventions with families or students that are in need of services.

Crisis Situations:
• During a crisis, the attendance plan will be followed by the Los Lunas School District.
• Hybrid Learning- Every student is required by the Los Lunas Schools and in compliance with State of New Mexico to attend all instructional classes daily. Teacher(s) will be required to take attendance for each class period of instructional learning. The administrator(s) will ensure that all attendance is taken by teachers and correctly reported for each instructional class period.
• Virtual Learning- Every student is required by the Los Lunas Schools and in compliance with State of New Mexico to attend all instructional classes daily. Teacher(s) will be required to take attendance for each class period of instructional learning. The administrator(s) will ensure that all attendance is taken by teachers and correctly reported for each instructional class period.