4.  Attendance  Consistent School Attendance  Academic Success  School Completion Positive Correlation  School Attendance Right and Responsibility Critical Factor in School Success

5. Quality of School Culture Accurate Recordkeeping Analyses of Data

6. Encourage Students to Come to School Ready to Learn

7. Provide guidance to schools for creating positive school climates  Positive physical and psychological environment  Presence of strong adult role models  Respectful and nurturing interactions between adults and students  High level of student bonding to school Require schools to:  Collect data through accurate recordkeeping  Analyze and use data to design programs and services for attendance improvement

8. Comprehensive Attendance Policy  Developed with Stakeholders  Specific, strong, reflect local values and needs  Two year implementation period

9. Record and Report Attendance at Building Level:  May increase recordkeeping  Provide data to improve attendance  Highlight problems not addressed  Attendance rates may decline  Daily at elementary  Period by period at secondary

10. School District to Define/School Building to Record Absences as:  Paperwork burden for NYC and other large, high need districts  Reflect local needs/Philosophies  Excused  Unexcused

11. Flexibility for local policies for attendance for course credit Ability to differentiate between excused and unexcused absences to determine pupil eligibility.

12. Regents Discussion  Rochester’s Approach to Attendance Improvement Regents Discussion  Draft Regulations June 2001 Regents Approval  Attendance Regulations July 2001  SED Guidance to Schools  Districts Begin Implementation Fall 2001 Districts Operationalize New Attendance Systems By July 2003 May 2001