1. Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement
Toni Kersh, Director
Office of Dropout Prevention and
Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement

2. 124 School Attendance Officers
1 Director
3 Area Supervisors
124 School Attendance Officers
82 Counties
151 School Districts

3. School Attendance Supervisors
Terissa Williams
Cheryl Mickens
Bobby Johnson

4. COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAW § 37-13-91
Compulsory-school-age child" means a child who has attained or will attain the age of six (6) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year and who has not attained the age of seventeen (17) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year; and shall include any child who has attained or will attain the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 and has enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program. 

5. Provided, however, that the parent or guardian of any child enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program shall be allowed to disenroll the child from the program on a one-time basis, and such child shall not be deemed a compulsory-school-age child until the child attains the age of six (6) years. X

6. Compulsory Age Between Ages of 6 and 17 Exception
Students turning 17 in the first semester no longer fall under law

7. UNLAWFUL ABSENCES
An "unlawful absence" is an absence during a school day by a compulsory-school-age child, which absence is not due to a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance. 
An unlawful absence is any compulsory school-age child who is absent thirty-seven percent (37%) or more of a school day, which the absence is not due to a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance.
Days missed from school due to disciplinary suspension shall not be considered an "excused" absence under this section. 

8. Three (3) Tardy Rule???? Tardies cannot be considered as unexcused absences

9. Unexcused Absence Who makes decision?
By law, the superintendent or his/her designee decides whether or not an absence is excused.
Who makes decision?
The school attendance officer does not make the decision to excuse or unexcused an absence.
Who can not excuse an absence?

10. PRESENT
For the purpose of determining and reporting attendance, a pupil must be present for at least sixty-three percent (63%) of his/her instructional day, as fixed by the local school board, and defined by the student’s schedule, in order to be considered in full-day attendance.

11. If a compulsory-school-age child is participating in an authorized school activity with the prior approval of the superintendent of the school district, or his/her designee, the student is considered PRESENT for average daily attendance reporting purposes. The activities include, but are not limited to:
Official Organized Events Sponsored by the 4-H
Future Farmers of America
Junior Livestock Shows
Rodeo Events
Official Employment as a Page at the State Capitol
Subject-Matter Field Trips
Athletic Contest
Student Conventions
Music Festivals or Contest

12. A student’s participation in an authorized school activity must be verified by:
Student Schedule
Class Roster
Activity Roster

13. Referrals 5 unexcused absences
Must be reported to Compulsory School Attendance Officer within 2 days or 5 if it falls over holiday or weekend
5 unexcused absences
Must be reported in increments of five (5)
10 unexcused absences
12 unexcused absences

14. Suspensions - Attorney General Opinion
Absences
Suspensions - Attorney General Opinion
During the time in which a suspension or expulsion is imposed, a student is not under the compulsory school attendance officer’s jurisdiction whether the student is classified as regular or special education and may not be monitored for school attendance.
Detention Center- Section
Students in the youth detention center are present.

15. SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS
Section (6) of MS Code 1972
SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS
The superintendent, or his designee, also shall report any student suspensions or student expulsions to the school attendance officer when they occur.

16. Truancy is the Gateway to Dropout
Truancy is a strong
indicator the student
is disengaging and their
future is becoming
separated and limited.
In the United States
all children are given
the opportunity for
an education.
Students travel
through the school
system some with
success and others
go through the
process of dropping
out.
Making a connection: Why we are working together? This presentation is going to show how working together we can build a stronger, better, more productive community. Reducing the truancy and dropout rate is a team effort.

17. Calculation of Truancy Rate
The Truancy Rate shall be calculated using the following formula:
Numerator: Number of students with five or more unlawful absences (truant)
Denominator: Count of Student Membership –Cumulative Enrollment
Example: 25,000 /100,000 = x 100= 25%

18. HOME SCHOOL
The certificate of enrollment shall be prepared and maintained by the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement.

19. CERTIFICATE OF ENROLLMENT
The Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement shall be the only authorized entity to disseminate and collect the certificates of enrollment.
Certificates of Enrollment will not be provided to school district personnel for distribution.

20. School district personnel must notify the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement (state school attendance officer) if a parent, guardian or custodian is seeking to enroll a compulsory-school-age child in home school.

21. District personnel cannot at any time complete a certificate of enrollment. The certificate of enrollment must be completed by the parent, guardian or custodian of the compulsory-school-age child enrolling in a home school program.

22. Certificates of Enrollment will not be accepted for individuals registering to enroll in a home instruction program, for the first time, that have exceeded the compulsory school age nor will the student be considered as a “transfer to home school”.

24. Questions / Comments Contact: Toni Kersh TKersh@mde.k12.ms.us