2019/2020 New Attendance Codes and Procedure Shannon Yoelin, Student Accounting

Who Participated in Creating the New Procedure? Student Accounting Department of Intervention District Administration ES, MS and HS: Administrators, Counselors, and Secretaries Teachers: ES, MS, and HS IT Department Department of Accountability

What Compels Attendance in WCSD: NRS 392.122 Establishes that minimum attendance is required for promotion to the next grade. NRS 392.122 Also requires that 10 days of attendance be credited for students who complete Instruction Related Activities towards the required days of attendance.  WCSD Board mirrors the federal guidance that says that students must not be absent 10% or more of school days or they will be considered chronically absent and may face consequences such as retention or failure of the course(s) no matter what the student's academic mark(s) in the grade/course may be. Retention/Failure policies are left to the school site.

What Compels Attendance in WCSD: An absence is an absence. A student is simply considered present or absent. The reason for the absence will no longer be considered.  Because students who miss 10% or more of school days have been shown to struggle in school, the WCSD attendance procedure now mirrors when a student become chronically absent. Therefore, extremely important that schools and families work together to budget absences appropriately, monitor absences closely, and ensure that barriers to attendance are removed. 

Chronic Absenteeism: NRS 392.122 states, “…the days on which a pupil is not in attendance because the pupil is absent for up to 10 days within 1 school year…must be credited towards the required days of attendance if the pupil completed course-work requirements.” WCSD will use Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed as our indicator of a student having made up course-work requirements.

2019/2020 Attendance Code Changes: REMOVED: APT: Absence Prior to Triggering Failure EFB: Emergency Family Business NCU: Parent Note/Call After 3 Days RH: Religious Holiday TEP: Temporary Educational Program ADDED: IRA: Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed (PRESENT CODE) MET: Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed In Excess of 10 Days. (ABSENT CODE)

2019/2020 Legend of Symbols: WASHOE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TITLE Infinite Campus Code Daily Attendance Code Color in Infinite Campus Chronic Absence 10% or More Absence Retain/Fail Alternative Educational Location (Home Hospital or Jan Evans) AEL Present Gray No Appeal (MS/HS Only) APP Unverified AUK Absent Pink Yes Child In Transition CIT Confirmed Truant CT Confirmed Truancy Letter CTL Domestic DOM Medical: Health Care Professional Note EMD Excused Missed Instruction EMI Tardy Green Absence Due to Foster Care FCA Finished Distance Ed Course Waiting to Take Final Exam FIN WCHD Excluded Medical HDE Intersession Absence IAB Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed (Maximum 10 per year per NRS 392.122) IRA Suspension In School ISS Medical : Parent Excuse MED Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed in Excess of 10 Days MET Runaway RWY School Activity SCH Out of School Suspension SUS Suspension Instruction Provided SUS3 Unexcused Missed Instruction T

Documenting Attendance in IC: Document all student absences correctly using the correct attendance codes in IC. When a parent calls the school regarding a students absence, use the attendance code that fits the situation such as: DOM: Going out of town (see DOM in attendance definitions for more examples); MED: Parent calls the student in ill. APT is no longer used.

Attendance Code: Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed (IRA) Students are limited to 5 IRA days per course per semester in HS and 10 IRA days per school year in ES/MS when the student has completed the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed requirements. Students who request Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed requirements must be given work that the class completed whether the same assignment or an alternative assignment or the teacher must work with the student to make sure the student understands the missed concept. Failure to request or return completed Instruction Related Activities or Concepts missed will result the absence remaining unchanged. Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed returned to the teacher within the timeline (number of days absent plus one starting the day the work was provided by the teacher), the attendance code will be changed to (IRA) Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed for up to 5 days per semester in HS and 10 days per year in ES/MS (NRS 392.122). This present code will not count against the student’s possible retention/failure or Chronic Absenteeism. Code=IRA

Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed: Even though the attendance procedure has changed, students must continue to request the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed when they are absent and will have the number of days absent plus one beginning on the day the teacher provides the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed to the student.   Once completed and returned, the teacher will make the change in the Instruction Related Activities Tracker.  Once the teacher has input that the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed are complete, returned and grasped, the Instruction Related Activities Tracker will make all the changes to attendance in IC.  Teachers are the only ones who can say if IRA requirements have been met for their course.

Attendance Code: Instruction Related Activities or Missed Concepts in Excess of 10 Days (MET) After the first 5 (IRA) absences per semester per course (HS) or 10 absences per year (ES/MS), the student must still complete their Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed and will be marked (MET) Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed in Excess of 10 Days for attendance appeal purposes. This code will count against the student’s possible consequences of retention or failure and will also count toward chronic absenteeism. Appeals will still need to be manually entered.

Instruction Related Activities Monitor (IRAM): When Instruction Related Activities Monitor Goes Live: Check weekly, monthly, or at designated intervals to ensure teachers are updating the Instruction Related Activities Tracker (IRAT). See Administrator or Teacher Attendance Responsibilities for more detail. Notify the Principal/Attendance Administration when teachers are not updating the Instructional Related Activities Tracker weekly, monthly, or at designated intervals.

Instruction Related Activities Tracker (IRAT): Teachers will check the Yes, No, or Time Not Expired box. The Yes box will change the current attendance code to (IRA) Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed for the first 5 absences per course per semester in HS or the first 10 absences per year in ES/MS, then (MET) Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed in Excess of 10 days. The student will fall off of the report. The No box, the attendance code will remain unchanged. The student will fall off of the report. The Time Not Expired Box, the student will remain on the report until Yes or No is checked and the report saved.

When the IRA Tracker Goes Live! All schools must use the Instruction Related Activities Tracker when it goes live. Schools may choose how teachers acknowledge Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed as completed. All teachers in one school site must use the same method.

What to do if the IRAT is not live when school begins…. Schools must have a way of keeping track of what students have completed their Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed. All teachers in one school site must use the same method. Suggested methods: Do what you have been doing. Have teachers mark ASRs for work completed and turn into office. Students can take around a form. Use the Period Count Report. For more detail please see the Administrators Responsibilities.

Important Things to Remember: Infinite Campus is our legal gradebook. There is no need to keep copies of assignments, exams, or proof of completion of the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed. Return completed work to students to provide feedback. Teachers determine when students have fulfilled the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed. They cannot be directed to mark someone as IRA or MET simply because the student is passing the course.

Retention/Failure Elementary School Students Students absent 17 days of school may face consequences that might include retention. Parents should check with their student’s elementary school to find out the consequences for absences and the number of absences before they are applied.   Middle School Students Students who miss 17 days in any course during the year may face consequences that might include retention in the same grade for the next year or failure of the course itself. Because of block scheduling in some middle schools, the student may face consequences for being absent a considerably less number of days. High School Students Students may have considerably less absent days (no more than 8) before the student could fail the course due to absenteeism because of block scheduling. Each high school has a trigger number which is the number of absences prior to triggering failure.

Q & A: Thank you!  If you have further questions, please contact Shannon Yoelin 861-4442 or syoelin@washoeschools.net Thank you! 