1. Attendance Attendance Policies and Procedures at WHS

2. Prior Knowledge Survey Write your thoughts on a piece of paper regarding these two prompts: 1. Why do you think attendance is important? 1. What is the Waverly High School attendance policy?

3. Why Is Attendance Important? ● Attendance is a greater predictor of graduation than literacy development, income, or 8th grade test scores. ● Learning is a progressive activity - each day builds on the next. ● Good attendance generally means better grades and greater enjoyment of school. ● Chronic absenteeism increases the achievement gap. ● Attendance is a JOB SKILL employers look for. ● College professors look for attendance as well.

4. Why Is Attendance Important? In a Baltimore study, student’s high school graduation could be predicted by 6th grade attendance. Another study showed, a 50 percentage point difference in the graduation rate between students who missed 0-5 compared to those absent 15+ days Number of Days AbsentGraduation Rate 0-9 Days70% 10-20 Days51% 20-39 Days36% over 40 Days13%

5. Why Is Attendance Important? “Chronic Absenteeism” is defined as missing 10 full days of school or more in a year In the entire state of Michigan, 27.8% of students demonstrated Chronic Absenteeism last year In Waverly Community Schools, 28.6% of students demonstrated Chronic Absenteeism last year

6. Why Is Attendance Important? Additional highlights of attendance research data: ●Missing 2 days in September make it 65% more likely a student will be chronically absent ●Students with high test scores that missed more than two weeks of school per semester were more likely to fail than students with low test scores that missed one week or less per semester. ●Missing 10% of a class is a red flag for failing and/ or not graduating on time (one quarter is ~45 days) ●If you are absent more than ten days within your tenth grade year, you are 25% less likely to enroll in college or trade school after high school.

7. What Does Poor Attendance Look Like at Waverly High School? ● Frequent absences without parent/guardian notifying the school. ● Leaving school early without permission. ● Frequent tardiness resulting in unexcused absences. ● Frequently missing one or two classes during the day. ● Missing classes on test days or due dates. ● Repeated outside appointments in the same class period. ● Consistently being tardy to first hour. ● Consistently tardy after getting lunch off campus.

8. WHS Attendance Policy and Procedure The WHS Board-Approved Attendance Policy in the Student Code of Conduct states: Each semester a student may have a maximum of 12 absences in each class (both excused and unexcused). School-related absences, religious observances, etc., do NOT figure into the total count Class attendance is a relevant objective criterion by which a student’s course grade may be determined.

9. WHS Attendance Policy and Procedure  Students will be marked absent for any class in which they do not arrive or arrive past ten minutes from the start of class  Each absence triggers an automated phone call home.  Upon the 5 th absence, the student’s parents/guardians will be contacted via phone and letter  Upon the 9 th absence, the student will appear before the Attendance Review Board  The Board and the student will create an attendance plan  Outcomes of future absences will be determined  Upon the 12 th absence the outcomes determined by the Attendance Review Board will be applied, including but not limited to grade reduction in the course or Credit-No Credit in lieu of a grade

10. Possible Outcomes for Excessive Absences Once a student has accumulated 9 absences, the student will appear before the Attendance Review Board. An attendance plan will be made and, at the descretion of the Board, further absences resulting in the students 12+ absence may cause the student to: ●Receive a reduction in the class grade ●Receive credit/no credit in lieu of a class grade ●In-school suspension ●Become ineligible for student body honors such as class representative on Homecoming/Winterfest court ●Become ineligible to participate in Commencement ceremonies or withholding of graduation tickets ● Lose extracurricular privileges ● Suspension for athletics and other extra-curricular activities ●Be referred to the Eaton County Truancy Court ●Receive alternate/additional outcomes as deemed necessary Failure to meet with the Attendance Review Board will result in loss of Improvement Plan opportunities and outcome shall be applied

11. Outcomes for Good Attendance Students with excellent attendance will be considered for: ●Academic rewards, such as test/assignment exemptions, extra credit, etc. ●Honors at quarterly awards, Senior honors Night, and Underclassman Awards ●Weekly and Monthly incentives such as raffles and contests for students with strong attendance ●Recommendations for post-secondary opportunities

12. Definitions of Absences AI or AE = illness/medical/excused absence ●personal illness, professional appointments, funerals, serious personal/family problems AU = unexcused absence ●Parent/Guardians do not call in to explain absence ●will NOT receive credit for missed work - including tests or quizzes FT = school-related absence ●school field trip, college visit, athletic event, etc. ●can make up work OS/IS = Out-of-school or In-school Suspenion The 12 absence limit does NOT differentiate between AI, AE, and AU! FT, OS, IS absences are not included in limit.

13. Make-Up Work  Students are expected to complete work missed due to an excused absence  Students may not earn credit for assignments or tests that are missed because of an unexcused absence  An absence does NOT automatically extend the due date  Obligations such as term papers, class projects, etc., which have been scheduled in advance will be expected to be submitted on or before the pre-established due date unless otherwise designated by the teacher (i.e. If you are going to be out of school, be pro-active and contact the teacher!)

14. Review of Tardy Policy  Students will be marked tardy if they arrive up to ten minutes late for class  Tardy 1: Teacher warning/mark in attendance  Tardy 2: Teacher warning/mark in attendance  Tardy 3: Teacher warning/mark in attendance  Tardy 4: Lunch detention  Tardy 5: Lunch detention  Tardy 6: Immediate In-School Suspension for that hour

15. Small, Daily Steps…. If you come to school each day, you will be more likely to: ●get one-on-one support ●work with or get help from classmates with challenging courses ●stay on track with your classes ●be an active part of the classroom ●graduate on time ●attend college ●earn more money than a high school dropout

16. Attendance Policy Post-Test 1. How many absences are allowed under the WHS Attendance Policy? 2. What happens if a student is absent more than the allowable days for a class? 3. What are five possible outcomes (both academic and otherwise) that result from poor attendance? 4. Why is good attendance important to you? 5. What are some things you can do to ensure good attendance?