board of education of howard county meeting agenda …

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HOWARD COUNTY

MEETING AGENDA ITEM

TITLE: Policy 9010 Attendance DATE: May 14, 2020

PRESENTER(S): James LeMon, Executive Director, Community, Parent and School Outreach

Kelly Ruby, Coordinator, School Counseling Strategic Call to Action Alignment: Student-centered Practices - Each and every student receives a high-quality education

through access to individualized instruction, challenges, supports and opportunities.

OVERVIEW: Policy 9010 was reviewed under the guidelines for policy development and adoption. A committee of stakeholders, chaired by

James LeMon, Executive Director, Community, Parent and School Outreach and Kelly Ruby, Coordinator, School Counseling was

convened to make recommendations for revisions to the policy. The committee was charged with the following tasks:

Review all parts of the policy to update legal references as needed and to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory

mandates, in particular the Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, §§7-301 through 7-305.

Review the policy for consistency with other school system policies, with particular attention to those developed or revised

since the last revision of this policy, such as the grading and reporting policies, Policies 8010 and 8020.

Make recommendations in accordance with current best practices.

Utilize relevant data sources to inform the effectiveness of the policy, if applicable, such as the MD Every Student Succeeds

Act (ESSA) Plan.

Note any implications or follow-up actions that may be necessary as a result of the committee’s recommendations.

Attached are highlights of the revisions, a list of committee members, and the proposed policy and implementation procedures.

The markup copy includes original language from the current policy. The charter for the committee was presented to the Board on

June 13, 2019; the committee’s recommendation was submitted to the Superintendent’s Cabinet on January 21, 2020; and a report

was delivered to the Board on April 16, 2020. RECOMMENDATION/FUTURE DIRECTION: The Board will take action to adopt revised Policy 9010 Attendance on June 11, 2020. The revised policy will become effective

July 1, 2020.

SUBMITTED BY: APPROVAL/CONCURRENCE:

James LeMon, Executive Director

Community, Parent and School

Outreach

Michael J. Martirano, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Kelly Ruby

Coordinator

School Counseling

Karalee Turner-Little

Deputy Superintendent

Mark C. Blom

General Counsel

William Barnes

Chief Academic Officer

Anissa Dennis

Chief School Management and

Instructional Leadership Officer

PUBLIC HEARING (Same Documents as Report)

BOE Meeting of April 16, 2020

Policy 9010 Attendance

Highlights of Initial Proposal

Policy

• Updates the Policy and Purpose Statements.

• Adds definitions for Discretionary Absence, Emancipated Student, Parenting Student,

and Religious Holiday.

• Removes the definition of Exemplary Attendance.

• Updates definitions for Absence, Attendance, Attendance Source Documents,

Chronically Absent, Lawful Absence, and Parent.

• Deletes denial of credit and exemplary attendance in Standards.

• Clarifies proactive supports and interventions will be provided through the HCPSS

attendance strategies and school problem-solving teams for all students.

• Removes students are responsible for making up work when they are absent.

• Updates References.

Implementation Procedures

• Includes approved electronic communication platforms in ways students, parents, and

employees will be notified of the provisions of this policy.

• Clarifies students enrolled for a partial day must be present for at least half of the

scheduled hours to receive credit for a half day.

• Specifies when a student is involved in an approved school sponsored activity during

the day, he or she is to be counted “present” and coded as lawfully absent for the time

missed eg., GT seminar, sections, field trips.

• Includes missing class for more than 35 minutes of a 90 minute class will also be

treated as an absence for that class.

• Specifies the school must receive notification from the parent or physician explaining

the absence/tardiness of a student within five school days of the student’s return or

the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused.

• Clarifies schools (Instructional Intervention Team/Student Support Team) will

provide supports/interventions through the problem solving team for students who are

habitually late or absent to school/class.

• Includes a parent note will be accepted for students attending a medical appointment.


• Adds options concerning an appropriate educational program will be in alignment

with Policy 9100 Educational Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Students.

• Specifies parents/students may request an accommodation to meet a religious

obligation that cannot be fulfilled except during the school day, in accordance with

Standard B. of Policy 3000 Religious Observances.

• Clarifies criteria for absences for discretionary days.

• Specifies students can receive credit for make-up work when a student has an

unlawful absence.

• Includes list of actions that may be taken as a result of continued unlawful absences

and/or tardiness of the student.

• Specifies students receiving special education services and exhibiting behaviors

outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D., the IEP team, in consultation with the

Department of Special Education, must conduct an IEP meeting to determine of the

IEP remains appropriate. If the IEP remains appropriate, the school will move

forward with the processes outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D. If the IEP is not

appropriate, the IEP team will revise the IEP.

• Removes High School Denial of Credit section.

• Updates section for Supports and Interventions.

• Removes Attendance Motivation Strategies section.

All stakeholders listed in Policy 2020 Policy Development and Adoption were invited to have representation on the committee.


Committee for the Revision of Policy 9010 Attendance

James LeMon*, Executive Director, Community, Parent and School Outreach

Kelly Ruby*, Coordinator, School Counseling

Jordan Abraham, HCPSS Student, Howard High School

Maribel Alonso, HCPSS Parent

Elizabeth Banyas, Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC)

Tom Bowen, PPW

Sally Dorman, Instructional Facilitator of School Psychology

Matthew Dunlop, General Citizens

Lisa Davis, Director, Program Innovation and Student Well-Being

Adam Eldridge, Principal

Steven Fleming, Assistant Principal

Brooklyn Foyles, HCPSS Student, Mt. Hebron High School

Michelle Leader, Principal

Lisa Loveless (Robert Sirois, alternate), Community Advisory Council (CAC)

Despina Mastrogianis, Secretary, Howard High School

Debra O’Byrne, Howard County Administrators Association (HCAA)

Dawn Pipkin, Howard County Education Association (HCEA)

Ellen Rice, School Counseling Secretary, Ellicott Mills Middle School

Shubhi Saxena, Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC)

Maryann Thomas, Technical Assistant for Registrars

Katherine Volpe, Teacher, Wilde Lake High School

Mary Weaver, School Counselor, Cradlerock Elementary School

Restia Whitaker, Coordinator, Pupil Personnel Services

Sheree Witby, Coordinator, Student Access and Achievement

Invited/No representation/No participation**

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC)

* Committee Chair


POLICY 9010

ATTENDANCE

BOARD OF EDUCATION Effective: July 1, 2020

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THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT PROVIDED AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING PROPOSED CHANGES

I. Policy Statement

The Board of Education is committed to ensuring that a quality education is provided for each

student in a welcoming environment. Daily attendance is essential to student achievement and

required in order to demonstrate mastery of material and receive credit for a course. The Board

recognizes the strong correlation between regular attendance, academic achievement, and the

completion of school and future success. The Board of Education further believes that regular

attendance is a shared responsibility of the family, the student, and the school.

II. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the requirements for student attendance, provide

guidance for attendance monitoring and recording, and identify structures that support

students’ attendance.

III. Definitions

Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply:

A. Absence – The failure of a student to be present in school/class or at a school-related

activity.

B. Attendance – The act of being present at school or school-related activities.

C. Attendance Source Documents – Electronic records that are maintained by classroom

teacher, homeroom teacher, substitute or other school-based employee that document

the student’s attendance.

D. Chronically Absent – A year-to-date absence rate of 10% or more, including both

lawful and unlawful absences.

E. Discretionary Absence – Absence requested by a parent/guardian and approved by a

school administrator that satisfies the criteria in Section III.H.11. below.

F. Emancipated Student – A student who meets one or more of the following conditions:

1. The student is under age 21 and married,

2. The student is under age 18 and has been declared emancipated by the court,

3. The student is age 18-21 and is living independently of the student’s parents.

BOE Meeting of April 16, 2020 POLICY 9010


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G. Habitual Truant – A student who met ALL of the following criteria during the school

year:

1. The student was age 5 through 20.

2. The student was enrolled in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)

for 91 or more days.

3. The student was unlawfully absent for 20% or more of the days of enrollment.

H. Lawful Absence – An excused absence for any portion of the day under the following

conditions:

1. Death in the immediate family

2. Illness of the student

3. Pregnancy and parenting needs

4. Court summons

5. Hazardous weather conditions

6. Work approved or sponsored by the school

7. Observance of a religious holiday

8. State emergency

9. Suspension

10. Lack of authorized transportation

11. Other emergency or set of circumstances which, in the judgment of the

Superintendent or designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence

from school.

I. Parent – Any one of the following, recognized as the adult(s) legally responsible for the

student:

1. Biological Parent – A natural parent whose parental rights have not been

terminated.

2. Adoptive Parent – A person who has legally adopted the student and whose

parental rights have not been terminated.

3. Custodian – A person or an agency appointed by the court as the legal custodian of

the student and granted parental rights and responsibilities.

4. Guardian – A person who has been placed by the court in charge of the affairs of

the student and granted parental rights and responsibilities.

5. Caregiver – An adult resident of Howard County who exercises care, custody or

control over the student, but who is neither the biological parent nor legal guardian,

as long as the person satisfies the requirements of the Education Article, §7-101(c)



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(Informal Kinship Care) or has been issued a U.S. Department of Health and

Human Service’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Verification of Release

form entering into a custodial arrangement with the federal government.

6. Foster parent – An adult approved to care for a child who has been placed in their

home by a state agency or a licensed child placement agency as provided by the

Family Law Article §5-507.

J. Parenting Student – A student who is a parent of a child. This includes the mother and

father.

K. Religious Holiday – A traditional and customary day of religious observance,

excluding regular weekly prayer, services, or practices. (Policy 3000 Religious

Observances)

L. School-Related Activity – Any school system activity, whether held on or off school

property, in which a student directly participates (e.g., school field trip, athletic event,

or class/graduation activity), or in which the student does not directly participate but

represents the school or student body simply by being there (e.g., spectator at a school

event).

M. Truant – A student who is absent for a day or any portion of a day for any reason other

than those cited as lawful in COMAR 13A.08.01.03 and/or failure to bring a note

written by a parent to verify a lawful absence.

N. Unlawful Absence – An unexcused absence, including absence for any portion of the

day, for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and may

constitute truancy. Students unlawfully absent are considered truant. (COMAR

13A.08.01.04).

IV. Standards

A. Annual Notification

Attendance guidelines will be communicated annually to all students, parents, and

school-based employees.

B. Attendance Expectations

All students are expected to attend school regularly in accordance with state law and

regulation and this policy and may be excused from class or school only for reasons as

specified in state law and regulation and this policy.

C. Discipline

Disciplinary consequences for unlawful/unexcused absences will be applied as outlined

in the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct. Students cannot be suspended or expelled

solely for attendance-related offenses.



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D. Entry/Exit

For enrollment purposes, students will be entered and exited using the procedures

outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual.

E. Make-up Work

1. A student may make up work missed due to lawful absence and receive a recorded

grade in accordance with Policies 8010 Grading and Reporting: Prekindergarten

through Grade 5 and 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School.

2. A pregnant or parenting student may choose one of the following alternatives to

make up work that the student missed:

a. Retake a semester;

b. Participate in an online course credit recovery program; or

c. Allow the student six weeks to continue at the same pace and finish at a later

date.

F. Monitoring of Attendance

Teachers will maintain daily/period attendance records for all students.

G. Retention of Attendance Source Documents

Attendance source documents will be retained in accordance with guidelines outlined in

the Maryland Student Records System Manual.

H. Support for Students

Proactive supports and interventions will be provided through the HCPSS attendance

strategies and school problem-solving teams for all students.

V. Responsibilities

A. The Superintendent/designee will monitor standards and procedures related to

attendance as set forth in state law and policy.

B. Principals will inform students, employees, and parents annually of the provisions of

this policy.

C. Principals will assign and oversee personnel to monitor the recording of daily/period

attendance, report student absences (lawful and unlawful), and enter and withdraw

students for purposes of enrollment.

D. Teachers will maintain daily/period attendance electronically in accordance with

guidelines outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual.



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E. The Technology Department will retain attendance source documents in accordance

with the guidelines outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual.

F. Teachers will provide make-up work for students who are lawfully absent.

G. Students will be in school or attend a school-related activity each day school is in

session.

H. School-based problem solving teams will develop interventions and provide support to

students who are chronically absent or habitually truant.

VI. Delegation of Authority

The Superintendent is authorized to develop appropriate procedures for the implementation of

this policy.

VII. References

A. Legal

The Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, §§7-301 through 7-305

COMAR 13A.08.01.02, Age for School Attendance

COMAR 13A.08.01.03, Lawful Absence

COMAR 13A.08.01.04, Unlawful Absence

B. Other Board Policies

Policy 3000 Religious Observances

Policy 8010 Grading and Reporting: Prekindergarten through Grade 5

Policy 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School

Policy 8100 Field Trips

Policy 9000 Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment

Policy 9020 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities

Policy 9100 Educational Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Students

Policy 9200 Student Discipline

C. Relevant Data Sources

D. Other

Maryland Student Records System Manual

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

HCPSS Student Code of Conduct

VIII. History

ADOPTED: April 23, 1992

REVIEWED: July 1, 2012



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MODIFIED: September 19, 2017

REVISED: June 10, 1999

June 21, 2005

October 27, 2005

June 20, 2006

July 14, 2011

June 11, 2020

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2020


POLICY 9010-IP

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

ATTENDANCE

Effective: July 1, 2020

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I. Annual Notification

A. The HCPSS will publish attendance information annually in the Student/Parent

Handbook and post current attendance guidelines and procedures on the school

system’s website.

B. The principal will inform all students, parents, and employees of the provisions of

this policy annually and at other times as appropriate. This may be done in the

following ways:

1. Making announcements via the public address system at the beginning of the

school year.

2. Publishing the information in school newsletters and on approved electronic

communication platforms.

3. Publishing the information in employee/student handbooks.

4. Posting the information on a bulletin board and/or school’s website.

5. Making the information available for new students through the registration

process.

II. School Procedures

Recognizing administrators’ and teachers’ responsibility for maintaining a system to

record and report student absences (lawful and unlawful/excused and unexcused), the

following procedures are required for all schools:

A. Monitoring of Attendance:

1. Teachers will maintain daily/period attendance records for all students and

report tardiness and absence information as well as suspected truancies to

attendance reporting personnel. This information will be entered into the

student information management system by the end of each period and serve

as the attendance source document. The attendance source document is the

documentation substantiating a student’s attendance. The document must

include school name, school year, teacher’s name, student’s name,

consecutive and chronological dates and a clear indicator of present, absent,

and tardy with a legend for the indicators. These elements are required for the

Maryland State Department of Education September Enrollment Audit.

POLICY 9010-IP BOE Meeting of April 16, 2020 IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES


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2. Attendance personnel will use the following guidelines for determining full

day absent, full day present and half day present:

a. Students Scheduled for a Full Day

A student is counted present for a full day if the student is in attendance

four hours or more of the school day. A student is counted present for a

half day if in attendance for at least two hours of the school day, but less

than four hours.

b. Students Scheduled for a Partial Day

A student scheduled for less than a full day is to be counted present

based on the amount of time the student is scheduled.

i. Students enrolled in less than a full day of classes must be present

for their full defined day in order to be credited with a full day

present.

ii. Students enrolled in only one class must be present for the full class

in order to receive a full day present, otherwise they are marked

absent.

iii. Students enrolled for a partial day must be present for at least half of

the scheduled hours to receive credit for a half day.

3. Any student who participates during the school day in a school-sponsored

activity which is approved by the Superintendent or the principal, or any

persons duly authorized by the Superintendent/designee or principal/designee

will be considered in attendance at school. This means that when a student is

involved in an approved school sponsored activity during the day, he or she is

to be counted “present” and coded as lawfully absent for the time missed eg.,

GT seminar, sectionals, field trips.

4. Students reporting late to school/class when the day/period begins are

considered tardy. Leaving school/class before the day/period ends is

considered early dismissal. School personnel will designate tardiness and

early dismissal as lawful or unlawful and treat it under the same criteria as a

lawful or an unlawful absence. Missing class for more than 20 minutes will

be treated as an absence for that class. Missing class for more than 35

minutes of a 90 minute class will also be treated as an absence for that class.

5. Designated school personnel will contact the parent when a student is absent

for two or more consecutive school days or when truancy is suspected.

6. The school must receive notification from the parent or physician explaining

the absence/tardiness of a student within five school days of the student’s

return or the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused.

Emancipated students may be allowed to write their own notes to verify a

lawful absence. When a doctor’s note for chronic illness has been required



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and not provided within five school days of the student’s return, the

absence/tardiness will be recorded as unlawful/unexcused until a doctor’s

note is provided.

7. All schools' report cards will report numbers of days present and absent from

school. High school report cards will also report numbers of absences from

each period.

8. Schools (Instructional Intervention Team/Student Support Team) will provide

supports/interventions through the problem solving team for students who are


B. Retention of Attendance Source Documents:

Documentation substantiating attendance must be retained for three school

calendar years in accordance with the Maryland State Department of Education

Student Records System Manual.

C. Retention of Other Documents Related to Attendance:

Tardy logs, early dismissal logs, and parent notes will be retained for three years

in a secure location.

D. Entry and Exit for Purposes of Enrollment:

School employees responsible for maintaining enrollment and attendance

information will record entry and exit codes on the Student Record 1 card

(Attendance Card) according to standards described in the Maryland Student

Records System Manual. In addition, entry and exit codes must be entered into

the student information management system when a student enters or leaves the

school.

III. Lawful/Excused Absence

Students presently enrolled in public schools are considered lawfully absent from school,

including absence for any portion of the day, and may receive make-up work under the

following conditions:

A. Bereavement

1. Immediate family – The number of days absent for a death in the “immediate

family” is not to exceed five per instance. “Immediate family” is defined as

parents, (step) brother, (step) sister, grandparents, or anyone who has lived

regularly in the household of the student.

2. Other – Two days of absence will be allowed for the death of an aunt, uncle,

cousin, or classmate.



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B. Illness of the student

1. A doctor’s note may be required for chronic illness, which is defined as a

physical or mental health disease (condition) of long duration, showing little

change or of slow progression, which may be minor or severe in nature. This

includes, but is not limited to, medical appointments.

2. A parent note will be accepted for students attending a medical appointment.

3. Students receiving Home and Hospital Teaching will be maintained on the

regular school rolls and counted as present except when students are not

available for home and hospital teaching, in which case they are marked

absent.

4. Health-related exclusion – Students are temporarily excluded from school for

the following health-related reasons:

a. Failure of parents or guardians to abide by the health regulations

regarding immunization schedules or failure to provide evidence of

appropriate immunizations after 20 calendar days: COMAR 10.06.04.03;

or

b. Conditions that present a clear and direct health risk to others: COMAR

10.06.01.06.

C. Pregnancy and parenting needs

1. All pregnancy- and parenting-related conditions are lawful/excused absences

for:

a. Labor

b. Delivery

c. Recovery

d. Prenatal and postnatal medical appointments.

2. A parenting student is allowed lawful/excused absent days after the birth of

the student’s child. A physicians’ note may be required.

3. A parenting student’s absences due to an illness or a medical appointment of

the student’s child are lawful/excused absences. After four days of such

absences, during a school year, a physician’s note may be required.

4. A student’s absences due to a legal appointment involving the pregnant or

parenting student that is related to family law proceedings, including

adoption, custody, and visitation are lawful/excused absences.



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5. Options concerning an appropriate educational program will be in alignment


D. Court summons – When a student must report to court by the issuance of a

summons, the time absent will be considered a lawful/excused absence.

E. Hazardous weather conditions – This will be interpreted to mean only those

conditions of the weather which would endanger the health or safety of the

student when in transit to and from school.

F. Work – Such work must be approved or sponsored by the school, the local school

system, or the State Department of Education, and accepted by the Superintendent

or the principal/designee.

G. Observance of a religious holiday – Students may be excused when their

attendance at school conflicts with participation in traditional and customary

religious holidays. In accordance with Standard B. of Policy 3000 Religious

Observances, parents/students may request an accommodation to meet a religious

obligation that cannot be fulfilled except during the school day.

H. State emergency – The Governor/designee makes these determinations.

I. Suspension – Suspension is the denial of a student's right to attend regular classes

or school for a specified period of time for cause as outlined in Policy 9200

Student Discipline.

Note: Suspension is a lawful/excused absence and the days of suspension status

cannot be used when determining “habitual truancy.”

J. Lack of authorized transportation – A student may be excused when school

system authorized transportation is not available for reasons beyond the student’s

control. This does not include students denied authorized transportation for

disciplinary reasons.

K. Other emergency or set of circumstances, which, in the judgment of the

Superintendent/designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence from

school. The principal, in consultation with the Community Superintendent or

designee, as appropriate, will determine whether absences are excused under this

provision.

1. Absences of an Emergency Nature

Such absences will be reviewed by the principal in consultation with the

administrative directors to determine whether the absences will be

lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused.



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2. Deployment Related Absences

Deployment related absences will be excused for the purpose of visiting with

a parent who is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has

been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from,

deployment to a combat zone or support posting.

3. Absences for Discretionary Days

a. A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be

submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee.

b. Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing

periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.

c. For absences of up to 3 days per year, the principal will determine

whether the absences will be lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused.

Such absences may include, but are not limited to, the following events

directly involving the student:

i. Visits to post-secondary institutions

ii. Participation in college orientation programs

iii. Scheduled interviews with prospective employers

iv. Special family events, including vacations/trips.

d. For absences in excess of three days under this provision, the principal in

consultation with the Community Superintendent or designee will

determine if the absences will be lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused.

e. Requests for absences for religious obligations which are not addressed

under Section III.G. of these procedures should be processed in

accordance with Policy 3000 Religious Observances.

IV. Unlawful/Unexcused Absence

An absence for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and

may constitute truancy (COMAR 13A.08.01.04).

A. Teachers may assist students with make-up work when a student has an unlawful

absence, however, students will not receive credit for such assignments.

B. Continuing unlawful absences and/or tardiness of the student will result in the

initiation of one or more of the following actions:

1. Student conference



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2. Parent contact

3. Attendance contract

4. After school detention

5. Saturday School

6. Exclusion from activities

7. Removal of school privileges

8. Restriction of extracurricular activities

9. Referral to PPW/Student Services.

C. Enrolled students who do not report to school in August/September are marked

absent during the first month of the school year until they report to class. By

September 30, all enrolled students who have not reported since the first day of

school, will be exited with the date of exit July 1.

D. Students with unlawful absences of 10 consecutive school days or more will be

withdrawn from school and may be allowed to re-enroll, provided they meet

enrollment requirements, upon their return. Upon expiration of the 10-day

window, the student will be withdrawn and the date of the exit will be the first

day after the last day of attendance. Teachers will not be required to provide

make-up work during this time of absence. For these absences to be considered as

lawful, parents will need to exercise the option outlined in Section III. of these

procedures.

E. For students receiving special education services and exhibiting behaviors

outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D. of these implementation procedures, the

Individualized Education Program (IEP) TEAM, in consultation with the

Department of Special Education, must conduct an IEP meeting to determine if

the IEP remains appropriate.

1. If the IEP remains appropriate, the school will proceed with the processes

outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D. of these implementation procedures.

2. If the IEP is not appropriate, the IEP team will revise the IEP.

V. Supports and Interventions

A. School-wide informational sessions will be conducted to share the expectations of

the HCPSS Policy 9010 Attendance and its connection and correlation to

student’s academic and social success. Information sessions can be communicated

through new student orientation, student assemblies, information pamphlets,

school website, etc. within the first few weeks of school.

B. The HCPSS attendance strategies will be implemented school-wide to encourage

attendance for all students.



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C. Interventions will be put in place for students who need more support to avoid or

improve chronic absenteeism.

1. The Principal will ensure that designated school personnel will initiate a “call

of care and concern” to parents when a student misses two unexcused

consecutive days or reaches a 5% absence rate to identify how the school can

assist the family.

2. Administrators will identify students with multiple absences and will send

letters home at 5%, 10%, and 20% unless the school has notification of a

student’s chronic medical condition and interventions are currently in place.

3. Members of the team will develop, implement and regularly monitor an

attendance improvement plan that may include the following:

A parent/teacher/student conference focused on assessing the needs of the

student will be requested if a student experiences absenteeism rates of 15% or

more in order to assess the needs of the student in connection with attendance

and academic success.

4. The school’s problem solving team will create an attendance plan to support

students in improving overall attendance and in meeting attendance goals.

5. If attendance barriers are present that are adversely affecting a child’s

attendance, an SST referral will be made to look at comprehensive supports

for the family.

D. Intensive supports will be implemented for students facing the greatest challenges

to getting to school. These supports include:

1. An attendance team or SST to further monitor student attendance.

2. Use of a Pupil Personnel Worker to visit home.

E. Include quarterly reminders and updates of school attendance with employees to

share success and identify needs for improvements.

F. Under the Annotated Code of Maryland action may be taken when compulsory

attendance issues arise. It is the duty of the parent to see that their child attends

school or receives the required instruction.

1. Any person who induces or attempts to induce a child to absent himself

unlawfully from school or employs or harbors any child who is absent

unlawfully from school while school is in session is guilty of a misdemeanor

and on conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment not

to exceed 30 days, or both. (Section 7-301 (e) 1)



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2. Any person who has legal custody or care and control of a child who is 5

years old or older and under 16 who fails to see that the child attends school

or receives instruction under this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and: For

a first conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $50 per day of unlawful

absence or imprisonment not to exceed 10 days, or both; and For a second or

subsequent conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $100 per day of

unlawful absence or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both. (Section

7-301 (e) 2)

VI. History





June 21, 2005

July 1, 2005

October 27, 2005

July 13, 2006

May 10, 2007

September 20, 2007

July 14, 2011

June 11, 2020

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2020


POLICY 9010 ATTENDANCE

BOARD OF EDUCATION Effective: September 19, 2017

July 1, 2020

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THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT PROVIDED AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING PROPOSED CHANGES I. Policy Statement The Board of Education is committed to ensuring that a quality education is provided for each

student who is enrolled in the school system a welcoming environment. Daily attendance is essential to student achievement and required in order to demonstrate mastery of material and receive credit for a course. The Board recognizes that students are required to be in school or to be attending a school-related activity each day school is in session and that there is a the strong correlation among between regular attendance, academic achievement, and the completion of school and future success. The Board of Education further believes that regular attendance is vital to ensuring that students become productive members of society a shared responsibility of the family, the student, and the school.

II. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the requirements for student attendance, guidelines provide guidance for attendance monitoring and recording, and procedures for supporting chronically absent and habitually truant students identify structures that support students’ attendance.

III. Definitions Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply:

A. Absence – The failure of a student to be physically present in school/class or at a school-related activity during the school day.

B. Attendance – The act of being physically present at school or school-related activities

during the school day.

C. Attendance sSource dDocuments – Electronic records that are maintained by classroom teacher, homeroom teacher, substitute or other staff member school-based employee that document the student’s attendance.

D. Chronically aAbsent – A year-to-date absence rate of 210% or more, including both

lawful and unlawful absences.

E. Exemplary attendance – A final attendance rate of 96% or more of the student year with no unlawful absences.



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Discretionary Absence – Absence requested by a parent/guardian and approved by a

school administrator that satisfies the criteria in Section III.H.11. below.

F. Emancipated Student – A student who meets one or more of the following conditions:

1. The student is under age 21 and married, 2. The student is under age 18 and has been declared emancipated by the court, 3. The student is age 18-21 and is living independently of the student’s parents.

FG. Habitual tTruant – A student who met ALL of the following criteria during the school

year:

1. The student was age 5 through 20. 2. The student was enrolled in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)

for 91 or more days. 3. The student was unlawfully absent for 20% or more of the days of enrollment.

GH. Lawful aAbsence – An excused absence for any portion of the day under the following

conditions:

1. Death in the immediate family 2. Illness of the student 3. Pregnancy and parenting needs 4. Court summons 5. Hazardous weather conditions 6. Work approved or sponsored by the school 7. Observance of a religious holiday 8. State emergency 9. Suspension 10. Lack of authorized transportation 11. Other emergency or set of circumstances which, in the judgment of the

Superintendent or designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence from school.

HI. Parent – Any one of the following, recognized as the adult(s) legally responsible for the

student:

1. Biological Parent – A natural parent whose parental rights have not been terminated.

2. Adoptive Parent – A person who has legally adopted the student and whose

parental rights have not been terminated.



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3. Custodian – A person or an agency appointed by the court as the legal custodian of the student and granted parental rights and privileges responsibilities.

4. Guardian – A person who has been placed by the court in charge of the affairs of

the student and granted parental rights and privileges responsibilities. 5. Caregiver – An adult resident of Howard County who exercises care, custody or

control over the student, but who is neither the biological parent nor legal guardian, as long as the person satisfies the requirements of the Education Article, §7-101(c)

(Informal Kinship Care) or has been issued a U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Verification of Release form entering into a custodial arrangement with the federal government.

6. Foster pParent – An adult approved to care for a child who has been placed in their

home by a state agency or a licensed child placement agency as provided by section the Family Law Article §5-507 of the Family Law Article.

J. Parenting Student – A student who is a parent of a child. This includes the mother and

father. K. Religious Holiday – A traditional and customary day of religious observance, excluding regular weekly prayer, services, or practices. (Policy 3000 Religious

Observances)

IL. School-rRelated Activity – Any school system activity, whether held on or off school property, in which a student directly participates (e.g., school field trip, athletic event, or class/graduation activity), or in which the student does not directly participate but represents the school or student body simply by being there (e.g., spectator at a school event).

JM. Truant – A student who is absent for a day or any portion of a day for any reason other

than those cited as lawful in COMAR 13A.08.01.03 and/or failure to bring a note written by a parent to verify a lawful absence.

KN. Unlawful aAbsence – An unexcused absence, including absence for any portion of the

day, for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and may constitute truancy. Students unlawfully absent are considered truant. (COMAR 13A.08.01.04).

IV. Standards

A. Annual Notification Attendance guidelines will be communicated annually to all students, parents, and staff

school-based employees.



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B. Attendance Expectations All students are expected to attend school regularly in accordance with state law and

regulation and this policy and may be excused from class or school only for reasons as specified in state law and regulation and this policy.

C. Denial of Credit Any high school student with absences constituting five percent (5%) of a semester or a

yearlong course will be considered for denial of credit.

D. Discipline Disciplinary consequences for unlawful/unexcused absences will be applied as outlined

in the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct. Students cannot be suspended or expelled solely for attendance-related offencses.

ED. Entry/Exit For enrollment purposes, students will be entered and exited using the procedures

outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual.

F. Exemplary Attendance Schools will recognize students with exemplary attendance.

GE. Make-up Work

1. A student may make up work missed due to lawful absence and receive a recorded

grade in accordance with Policies 8010, Grading and Reporting: Prekindergarten through Grade 85, and 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School.

2. A pregnant and or parenting student may choose one of the following alternatives

to make up work that the student missed:

a. Retake a semester; b. Participate in an online course credit recovery program; or c. Allow the student six weeks to continue at the same pace and finish at a later

date.

HF. Monitoring of Attendance Teachers will maintain daily/period attendance records for all students. IG. Retention of Attendance Source Documents Attendance source documents will be retained in accordance with guidelines outlined in

the Maryland Student Records System Manual.



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JH. Support for Students Proactive Ssupports and interventions will be provided through the HCPSS attendance

strategies and school problem-solving teams for all students who are chronically absent and/or habitually truant.

V. Compliance Responsibilities

A. The Superintendent/designee is responsible for will monitoring standards and procedures related to attendance as set forth in state law and policy.

B. Principals are responsible for will informing students, staff employees, and parents

annually of the provisions of this policy. C. High school principals are responsible for making determinations regarding denial of

credit. D. Principals are responsible for will assigning and overseeing personnel to monitor the

recording of daily/period attendance, the reporting of student absences (lawful and unlawful), and the entering and withdrawing of students for purposes of enrollment.

ED. Teachers are responsible for will maintaining daily/period attendance electronically in

accordance with guidelines outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual. FE. The Technology Department is responsible for will retaining attendance source

documents in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Maryland Student Records System Manual.

GF. Teachers are responsible for will providinge make-up work for students who are

lawfully absent. HG. Students are responsible for will being in school or attending a school-related activity

each day school is in session. I. Students are responsible for making up work when they are absent.

JH. School-based problem solving teams are responsible for will developing interventions

and providinge support to students who are chronically absent or habitually truant. VI. Delegation of Authority The Superintendent is authorized to develop appropriate procedures for the implementation of

this policy.



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VII. References

A. Legal The Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, §§7-301 through 7-305 COMAR 13A.08.01.02, Age for School Attendance COMAR 13A.08.01.03, Lawful Absence COMAR 13A.08.01.04, Unlawful Absence B. Other Board Policies Policy 3000 Religious Observances Policy 8010 Grading and Reporting: Prekindergarten through Grade 85 Policy 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School Policy 8100 Field Trips, Domestic Policy 8110 Student International Educational Travel Policy 9000 Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment Policy 9020 Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Policy 9100 Educational Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Students Policy 9200 Student Discipline

C. Relevant Data Sources

CD. Other Maryland Student Records System Manual Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children HCPSS Student Code of Conduct

VIII. History

ADOPTED: April 23, 1992 REVIEWED: July 1, 2012 MODIFIED: September 19, 2017 REVISED: June 10, 1999

June 21, 2005 October 27, 2005 June 20, 2006 July 14, 2011 June 11, 2020

EFFECTIVE: September 19, 2017 July 1, 2020


POLICY 9010-IP

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

ATTENDANCE

Effective: September 19, 2017

July 1, 2020

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I. Annual Notification

A. The HCPSS will publish attendance information annually in the Student/Parent

Handbook and post current attendance guidelines and procedures on the school

system’s website.

B. The principal will inform all students, parents, and staff employees of the

provisions of this policy annually and at other times as appropriate. This may be

done in the following ways:

1. Making announcements via the public address system at the beginning of the

school year.

2. Publishing the information in school newsletters and on approved electronic

communication platforms.

3. Publishing the information in staff employee/student handbooks.

4. Posting the information on a bulletin board and/or school’s website.

5. Making the information available for new students through the registration

process.

II. School Procedures

Recognizing administrators’ and teachers’ responsibility for developing and maintaining

a system to record and report student absences (lawful and unlawful/excused and

unexcused), the following procedures are required for all schools:

A. Monitoring of Attendance:

1. Teachers will maintain daily/period attendance records for all students and

report tardiness and absence information as well as suspected truancies to

attendance reporting personnel. This information will be entered into the

student information management system by the end of each period and serve

as the attendance source document. The attendance source document is the

documentation substantiating a student’s attendance. The document must

include school name, school year, teacher’s name, student’s name,

consecutive and chronological dates and a clear indicator of present, absent,

and tardy with a legend for the indicators. These elements are required for the

Maryland State Department of Education September Enrollment Audit.



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2. Attendance personnel will use the following guidelines for determining full

day absent, full day present and half day present:

a. Students Scheduled for a Full Day

A student is counted present for a full day if the student is in attendance

four hours or more of the school day. A student is counted present for a

half day if in attendance for at least two hours of the school day, but less

than four hours.

b. Students Scheduled for a Partial Day

A student scheduled for less than a full day is to be counted present

based on the amount of time the student is scheduled.

i. Students enrolled in less than a full day of classes must be present

for their full defined day in order to be credited with a full day

present.

ii. Students enrolled in only one class must be present for the full class

in order to receive a full day present, otherwise they are marked

absent.

iii. In all other cases, the student will be credited with a half day present

if the student is present an hour or more of the school day.

Students enrolled for a partial day must be present for at least half of

the scheduled hours to receive credit for a half day.

3. Any student who participates during the school day in a school-sponsored

activity which is approved by the Superintendent or the principal, or any

persons duly authorized by the Superintendent/designee or principal/designee

shall will be considered in attendance at school. This means that when a

student is involved in an approved school sponsored activity during the day,

he or she is to be counted “present” and not coded as lawfully absent for the

time missed eg., GT seminar, sectionals, field trips.

4. Students reporting late to school/class when the day/period begins are

considered tardy. Leaving school/class before the day/period ends is

considered early dismissal. School personnel will designate tardiness and

early dismissal as lawful or unlawful and treat it under the same criteria as a

lawful or an unlawful absence. Missing class for more than 20 minutes will

be treated as an absence for that class. Missing class for more than 35

minutes of a 90 minute class will also be treated as an absence for that class.

5. Designated Sschool personnel will contact the parent when a student is absent

for two or more consecutive school days or when truancy is suspected.

6. The school must receive a note notification from the parent or physician

explaining the absence/tardiness of a student within two five school days of

the student’s return or the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused.



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Emancipated students as defined in Policy 9000 (Student Residency,

Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment) may be allowed to write their own

notes to verify a lawful absence. When a doctor’s certification note for

chronic illness has been required and not provided within two five school

days of the student’s return, the absence/tardiness will be recorded as

unlawful/unexcused until a doctor’s certificate note is provided.

7. All schools' report cards will report numbers of days present and absent from

school. High school report cards will also report numbers of absences from

each period.

8. If unlawful/unexcused absences continue to persist after the school has

contacted the parent and taken some disciplinary action, a referral should be

made to the problem solving team (Instructional Intervention Team/Student

Support Team).

Schools (Instructional Intervention Team/Student Support Team) will provide

supports/interventions through the problem solving team for students who are


B. Retention of Attendance Source Documents:

Documentation substantiating attendance must be retained for three school

calendar years in accordance with the Maryland State Department of Education

Student Records System Manual.

C. Retention of Other Documents Related to Attendance:

Tardy logs, early dismissal logs, and parent notes will be retained for three years

in a secure location.

D. Entry and Exit for Purposes of Enrollment:

School staff employees responsible for maintaining enrollment and attendance

information will record entry and exit codes on the Student Record 1 card

(Attendance Card) according to standards described in the Maryland Student

Records System Manual. In addition, entry and exit codes must be entered into

the student information management system when a student enters or leaves the

school.

III. Lawful/Excused Absence

Students presently enrolled in public schools are considered lawfully absent from school,

including absence for any portion of the day, and may receive make-up work under the

following conditions:



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A. Bereavement

1. Immediate family – The number of days absent for a death in the “immediate

family” is not to exceed five per instance. “Immediate family” is defined as

parents, (step) brother, (step) sister, grandparents, or anyone who has lived

regularly in the household of the student.

2. Other – One Two days of absence will be allowed for the death of an aunt,

uncle, cousin, or classmate, or HCPSS staff member.

B. Illness of the student

1. A doctor’s certification note may be required for chronic illness, which is

defined as a physical or mental health disease (condition) of long duration,

showing little change or of slow progression, which may be minor or severe

in nature. This includes, but is not limited to, medical appointments.

2. A parent note will be accepted for students attending a medical appointment.

23. Students receiving Home and Hospital Teaching will be maintained on the

regular school rolls and counted as present except when students are not

available for home and hospital teaching, in which case they are marked

absent.

4. Health-related exclusion – Students are temporarily excluded from school for

the following health-related reasons:

a. Failure of parents or guardians to abide by the health regulations

regarding immunization schedules or failure to provide evidence of

appropriate immunizations after 20 calendar days: COMAR 10.06.04.03;

or

b. Conditions that present a clear and direct health risk to others: COMAR

10.06.01.06.

C. Pregnancy and parenting needs

1. All pregnancy- and parenting-related conditions are lawful/excused absences

for:

a. Labor

b. Delivery

c. Recovery

d. Prenatal and postnatal medical appointments.



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2. A parenting student is allowed at least ten (10) lawful/excused absencest days

after the birth of the student’s child. Exceptions can be made for additional

lawful/excused absences upon approval of the Superintendent/Designee. A

physicians’ note may be required.

3. A parenting student’s absences due to an illness or a medical appointment of

the student’s child are lawful/excused absences. After four days of such

absences, during a school year, a physician’s note may be required.

4. A student’s absences due to a legal appointment involving the pregnant or

parenting student that is related to family law proceedings, including

adoption, custody, and visitation are lawful/excused absences.

5. Options concerning an appropriate educational program will be in alignment


D. Court summons – When a student must report to court by the issuance of a

summons, the time absent will be considered a lawful/excused absence.

E. Hazardous weather conditions – This will be interpreted to mean only those

conditions of the weather, as determined by the Superintendent, which would

endanger the health or safety of the student when in transit to and from school.

Students will be credited for at least a half day attendance if they are present any

part of the school day that schools close for weather-related or other emergencies.

F. Work – Such work must be approved or sponsored by the school, the local school

system, or the State Department of Education, and accepted by the Superintendent

or the principal/designee.

G. Observance of a religious holiday – Students may be excused when their

attendance at school conflicts with participation in traditional and customary

religious holidays. In accordance with Standard B. of Policy 3000 Religious

Observances, parents/students may request an accommodation to meet a religious

obligation that cannot be fulfilled except during the school day.

H. State emergency – The Governor/designee makes these determinations.

I. Suspension – Suspension is the denial of a student's right to attend regular classes

or school for a specified period of time for cause as outlined in Policy 9200,

Student Discipline.

Note: Suspension is a lawful/excused absence and the days of suspension status

cannot be used when determining “habitual truancy.”

J. Lack of authorized transportation – A student may be excused when school

system authorized transportation is not available for reasons beyond the student’s



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control. This does not include students denied authorized transportation for

disciplinary reasons.

K. Other emergency or set of circumstances, which, in the judgment of the

Superintendent/designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence from

school. The principal, in consultation with administrative directors the

Community Superintendent or designee, as appropriate, will determine whether

absences are excused under this provision.

1. Absences of an Emergency Nature

Such absences will be reviewed by the principal in consultation with the

administrative directors to determine whether the absences will be


2. Deployment Related Absences

Deployment related absences will be excused for the purpose of visiting with

a parent who is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has

been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from,

deployment to a combat zone or support posting.

3. Absences for Non-emergency Circumstances Discretionary Days

a. A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be

submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee.

b. Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing

periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.

c. For absences of up to 3 days per year, the principal will determine

whether the absences will be lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused.

Such absences may include, but are not limited to, the following events

directly involving the student:

i. Visits to post-secondary institutions

ii. Participation in college orientation programs

iii. Scheduled interviews with prospective employers

iv. Special family events, including vacations/trips.

d. For absences in excess of three days under this provision, the principal in

consultation with the administrative directors Community

Superintendent or designee will determine if the absences will be




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e. For absences of 15 consecutive days or more, a written request must be

submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the absence.

f. Requests for absences for religious obligations which are not addressed

under Section III.G. of these procedures should be handled processed in

accordance with Policy 3000, Religious Observances.

L. Health-related exclusion – Students are temporarily excluded from school for the

following health-related reasons:

1. Failure of parents or guardians to abide by the health regulations regarding

immunization schedules or failure to provide evidence of appropriate

immunizations after 20 calendar days: COMAR 10.06.04.03; or

2. Conditions that present a clear and direct health risk to others: COMAR

10.06.01.06.

IV. Unlawful/Unexcused Absence

An absence for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and

may constitute truancy (COMAR 13A.08.01.04).

A. Teachers may assist students with make-up work when a student has an unlawful

absence, however, students will not receive credit for such assignments.

B. Continuing unlawful absences and/or tardiness of the student will result in the

initiation of one or more of the following actions:

1. Student conference

2. Parent contact

3. Attendance contract

4. After school detention

5. Saturday School

6. Exclusion from activities

7. Removal of school privileges

8. Restriction of extracurricular activities

9. Referral to PPW/Student Services.

BC. Enrolled students who do not report to school in August/September are marked

absent during the first month of the school year until they report to class. By

September 30, all enrolled students who have not reported since the first day of

school, will be exited with the date of exit July 1.

CD. Students with unlawful absences of 10 consecutive school days or more will be

withdrawn from school and may be allowed to re-enroll, provided they meet

enrollment requirements, upon their return. Upon expiration of the 10-day



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window, the student will be withdrawn and the date of the exit will be the first

day after the last day of attendance. Teachers will not be required to provide

make-up work during this time of absence. For these absences to be considered as

lawful, parents will need to exercise the option outlined in Section III.K.3.e. of

these procedures.

DE. For students receiving special education services, withdrawal can only be

considered through the IEP team process and with the approval of and exhibiting

behaviors outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D. of these implementation

procedures, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) TEAM, in consultation

with the Department of Special Education, must conduct an IEP meeting to

determine if the IEP remains appropriate.

1. If the IEP remains appropriate, the school will proceed with the processes

outlined in Sections IV.C. and/or D. of these implementation procedures.

2. If the IEP is not appropriate, the IEP team will revise the IEP.

V. High School Denial of Credit

A. Teachers will submit to the principal the attendance record and a recommendation

for granting or denying credit for each student for whom denial of credit is

considered.

B. Students and their parents will be notified by the principal/designee that the

students are in danger of losing credit and provided opportunities to present

information explaining the degree of absenteeism.

C. The principal will determine whether credit is awarded or denied.

D. Any student who loses credit under this provision may appeal the determination to

the Superintendent’s designee.

VI. Supports and Interventions Procedures for Chronically Absent Students

A. The expectation for regular attendance is the same for all students enrolled in the

HCPSS whether they are under or over the compulsory attendance age.

School-wide informational sessions will be conducted to share the expectations of

the HCPSS Policy 9010 Attendance and its connection and correlation to

student’s academic and social success. Information sessions can be communicated

through new student orientation, student assemblies, information pamphlets,

school website, etc. within the first few weeks of school.

B. The HCPSS attendance strategies will be implemented school-wide to encourage

attendance for all students.



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C. These support and iInterventions procedures should will be put in place for

students who have need more support to avoid or improve chronic absences

absenteeism (lawful and/or unlawful).

1. Prior to a referral to the problem-solving team (Instruction Intervention

Team/Student Support Team), a designated staff person should document

attempts to notify the parent of the chronic absences.

The Principal will ensure that designated school personnel will initiate a “call

of care and concern” to parents when a student misses two unexcused

consecutive days or reaches a 5% absence rate to identify how the school can

assist the family.

2. If the absences continue, the student should be referred to the school’s

problem-solving team (Instruction Intervention Team/Student Support

Team).

Administrators will identify students with multiple absences and will send

letters home at 5%, 10%, and 20% unless the school has notification of a

student’s chronic medical condition and interventions are currently in place.

3. Members of the team will develop, implement and regularly monitor an

attendance improvement plan that may include the following:

a. Meeting with the student

b. Meeting with the student’s teachers and administrative staff

c. Meeting with the student’s parent(s)

d. Assigning the student to a counseling group

e. Referring the student to an alternative placement

f. Scheduling a hearing with the Pupil Personnel Worker

g. Referring the student and parent to Project Attend, a program designed to

improve the attendance of habitually truant and chronically absent

students in the Howard County School System

h. Making a referral to an outside agency for support

i. Making a referral to the State’s Attorney’s office for possible court

action (for students under the compulsory attendance age)

j. Completing the Maryland State Department of Education Statewide

Educational Interview Form (for students over the compulsory

attendance age).

A parent/teacher/student conference focused on assessing the needs of the

student will be requested if a student experiences absenteeism rates of 15% or

more in order to assess the needs of the student in connection with attendance

and academic success.

4. The school’s problem solving team will create an attendance plan to support

students in improving overall attendance and in meeting attendance goals.



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5. If attendance barriers are present that are adversely affecting a child’s

attendance, an SST referral will be made to look at comprehensive supports

for the family.

D. Intensive supports will be implemented for students facing the greatest challenges

to getting to school. These supports include:

1. An attendance team or SST to further monitor student attendance.

2. Use of a Pupil Personnel Worker to visit home.

E. Include quarterly reminders and updates of school attendance with employees to

share success and identify needs for improvements.

BF. Under Tthe Annotated Code of Maryland, criminal charges may be filed in

relation to unlawful absence from school action may be taken when compulsory

attendance issues arise. It is the duty of the parent to see that their child attends

school or receives the required instruction.

1. Any person who induces or attempts to induce a child to absent himself

unlawfully from school or employs or harbors any child who is absent

unlawfully from school while school is in session is guilty of a misdemeanor

and on conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment not

to exceed 30 days, or both. (Section 7-301 (e) 1)

2. Any person who has legal custody or care and control of a child who is 5

years old or older and under 16 who fails to see that the child attends school

or receives instruction under this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and: For

a first conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $50 per day of unlawful

absence or imprisonment not to exceed 10 days, or both; and For a second or

subsequent conviction is subject to a fine not to exceed $100 per day of

unlawful absence or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both. (Section

7-301 (e) 2)

VII. Attendance Motivation Strategies

A. Conduct school-wide orientation assemblies at the beginning of the school year to

review the attendance policy and promote the idea that regular attendance is a

student responsibility and an essential life skill.

B. Develop school-wide incentive programs to improve attendance.

C. Develop and utilize positive rewards for students with exemplary and improved

attendance during any one grading period and/or for the school year.



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D. Include quarterly reminders on the importance of regular attendance in school

newsletters and on school websites.

VIII. History





June 21, 2005

July 1, 2005

October 27, 2005

July 13, 2006

May 10, 2007

September 20, 2007

July 14, 2011

June 11, 2020

EFFECTIVE: September 19, 2017

July 1, 2020