Attendance Policy from Code of Conduct

B. Attendance
Students are expected to attend class daily as required by state law. 
Such attendance creates an environment that fosters subject competency,
continuity of learning, and responsibility, which are all integral to the
educational process.  Active student participation is an integral part of every
course offered in the high school.  Class participation shall be evaluated
according to guidelines described at the beginning of each course.  Failure to
attend class daily may impact a student’s grade and could result in loss of
credit, required counseling, or a Pupil in Need of Supervision (PINS)
referral.  If a student with excessive absences from a class wishes to be
eligible to take that class in summer school, the student must remain in that
class for the scheduled duration of the course.  Details about the four-stage
high school attendance regulations are described in Appendix C. A
summary of the district’s attendance policy is in Appendix I.

APPENDIX C.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS
AND PROCEDURES
 
I. ATTENDANCE REGULATION 
Rationale:  Studies have shown the importance of the relationship
between attendance at school and achievement.  Daily attendance creates an
environment that fosters subject competency, continuity of learning, and
responsibility, which are all integral to the educational process and is
consistent with the Niskayuna High School Mission Statement and district
policy 5100, “Attendance Policy.”
School attendance and class participation lead to student competency
and are essential to a comprehensive educational program.  For this reason
the Niskayuna High School Attendance Policy takes into consideration
attendance and participation as a component of the student’s grade. It is the
philosophy of the faculty, administration, and Board of Education that
active student participation is an integral part of every course offered in the
high school.  Class participation shall be evaluated according to guidelines,
which will be clearly stated to students by teachers at the beginning of each
course.
Failure to satisfy these attendance regulations may result in a reduced
grade or loss of credit.
The Niskayuna High School attendance regulation is
compartmentalized into four “stages” as follows:
Stage I and Stage II:
When a student is identified as having an attendance problem
according to the following table, the teacher will complete a Stage I letter or
a Stage II letter in a timely fashion pursuant to the time period in which the
student reaches the threshold of absences for each respective stage. Each
stage letter shall be sent separately to the parents of the student based upon
dates at which the student reaches prescribed levels. The Main Office will send a copy to the student’s parent, appropriate guidance counselor, and
assistant principal.
Stage I Criteria are:  Stage II Criteria are:
Science lab courses:      10 absences  15 absences
Full year courses:      8 absences  13 absences
Semester courses:      5 absences   7 absences
Physical Education courses:   7 absences  11 absences
 
The counselor or the assistant principal will determine the need to
meet with the student to review reasons for the absences and to determine
with which students to initiate strategies to improve class attendance. 
Strategies may include, but are not limited to, completing all assigned work,
individual counseling sessions, attendance counseling groups, psychological
referral, PINS diversion program, and Student Assistance Counselor
referral.
Stage III:
When a student’s attendance continues to be problematic according to
the following table, the teacher will complete a Stage III form. The Main
Office will send a copy to the student’s parent, appropriate guidance
counselor, and assistant principal.  
This Stage III letter is a notification that the student is in danger of
failing to meet the requirements of a particular course.
 
Stage III Criteria are:
Science lab courses:    20 absences
Full year courses:    15 absences
Semester courses:    8 absences
Physical Education courses:  14 absences
 
This notification will state that in order to receive course credit the
student will be responsible for contacting the teacher by the assigned date,
fulfilling participation requirements and demonstrating competency
according to departmental standards and guidelines.
The appropriate activities may be designed by the teacher or by the
student with the approval of the teacher. The “Stage III Activities Form” will
be completed by the teacher, with copies given to the student, departmental
supervisor, and counselor.  The grade for the satisfactory completion of
these activities shall be averaged with the student’s other grades for that
quarter in the course in determining the student’s quarter grade. 
Students who do not complete these activities may fail the course. 
Those who wish to re-take the course in summer school or need the course
to satisfy minimum student load requirements must remain in the class
until the end of the course.
Stage IV:
When a student who has successfully completed Stage III accumulates
additional absences according to the following table, the student will be
required to repeat Stage III. 
Stage IV Criteria are: 
Science lab courses:    + 10 absences
Full year courses:    + 5 absences
Semester courses:     + 3 absences
Physical Education courses: + 3 absences
 
 
APPENDIX I.
SUMMARY OF ATTENDANCE
POLICY 5100
 
I. SUMMARY OF ATTENDANCE POLICY 5100
All students are entitled to a sound basic education that will enable
them to enjoy life and become effective citizens. This goal can best be
achieved within the public schools by regular class participation. The
objective of this policy is to encourage student commitment to, staff
awareness of and parental support for regular class attendance.
 
A. Strategies
The basic strategy of this policy is to recognize the relationship between
participation in class activities and the mastery of course material. Students
are expected to come to class prepared to discuss assigned material.
Failure to attend class thwarts this objective and requires
compensating or corrective actions. Such actions should be based on valid
data. Consequently, class attendance shall be recorded in accordance with
state requirements and shall be reported to parents* at the end of each
marking period or more frequently if so required by the school code of
conduct.
 
B. Excused Absences
Tardiness or absence for the following reasons is excused: personal
illness or injury, death or emergency illness in the immediate family,
obligatory religious observance, required court appearance, medical and
dental appointments, school sponsored events, college visits and interviews,
career development or explorations programs approved by the principal,
driver’s road test (not permit tests), late arriving bus, impassable roads or
weather making travel unsafe, music lessons, or others as authorized by the
principal. Tardiness or absence for any other reasons in unexcused.
Students with an excused absence shall be given an opportunity to make up
missed work.
 
 
C. Relationship between Attendance and Course Credit
In order to obtain the minimum passing-grade for a course, students
must demonstrate sufficient comprehension of the course material to justify
promotion to a subsequent course of study. To obtain a higher grade,
students must demonstrate by examination, class participation and the
completion of assigned work that they have sufficient mastery of course
material to satisfy established departmental standards. Unexcused absences
may also affect a student’s grade and course credit.
 
D. Incentives, Sanctions and Notice
Each school is encouraged to recognize the impact of good attendance
on student learning and to develop incentives that provide individual
motivation to students and families. Students with unexcused absences shall
be subject to the sanctions provided by school codes of conduct. Parents
shall be notified by phone or by letter whenever their child is absent, tardy
or departs early without a proper excuse.
 
E. Intervention Strategies
Additional actions shall be taken for students with severe attendance
problems. These include referral to a student support or child study team,
the provision of counseling service, and referral to a judge for court
supervision (PINS petition).
 
*The term “parent” includes guardians and others in an established
parental relation with the student.