attendance policy

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

Attendance Policy Board Rule 6GX13-5A-1.041. Student attendance is a means of improving student performance and plays a critical role in raising student achievement.  Together, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools staff, students, parents and the community must make every effort to lessen the loss of instructional time incurred as the result of student absences.  In order to accomplish this goal, affective April 18, 2007, the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida approved a new School Board Attendance Rule.  This revised Attendance Policy is outlined below:

The Attendance Review Committee is comprised of a minimum of a Student Services representative and an administrator or administrative designee and will provide guidance and support to students with significant absences.  The Attendance Review Committee is expected to:

1. Provide early intervention by convening when students reach an accumulation of three (3) unexcused absences in a semester or six (6) unexcused absences in an annual course.
2. Convene a minimum of six (6) designated times per year.
3. Give consideration to all extenuating circumstances surrounding student absences.  The Attendance Review Committee is charged with the responsibility of prescribing activities designated to mitigate the loss of instructional time and has the authority to recommend the following:

1. Issuing of quarterly, semester or annual grades.
2. Temporary withholding of quarterly, semester or final grades pending the completion of pre-designated remediation activities that may include but are not limited to the following options:

• make-up assignments
• attendance probation for the following grading period(s)
• completion of a school service project

3. Permanent withholding of quarterly, semester or final grades and credit.  The student is to be informed of his/her right of final appeal to the regional superintendent or designee.

4. Review attendance history for student(s) exhibiting patterns of excused and/or unexcused absences and provide appropriate referrals and counseling support.

ACCEPTABLE REASONS FOR EXCUSED SCHOOL/CLASS ABSENCES AND TARDIES

• Student Illness

All students missing school due to illness are injury is required to provide a written statement from the student’s parent, guardian or health care provider.  The written statement must reference all days the student has been absent from school due to a specific medical condition.
Student Illness – 5 or More Consecutive Days: Students missing 5 or more consecutive days of school due to illness or injury are required to provide a written statement from a health care provider.  The written statement must reference all days the student has been absent from school due to a specific medical condition.  The student must be under the supervision of a health care provider in order to receive excused absences from school.

• Medical Appointment

If a student is absent from school due to a medical appointment, a written statement from the health care provider indicating the date and time of the appointment must be submitted.

• Death in the Family

• Observance of a religious holiday or service when it is mandated for all members of a faith that such a holiday or service is observed.   

• School-sponsored event or educational enrichment activity that is NOT a school-sponsored event, as determined and approved by the principal of the principal’s designee.  The student must receive advance, written permission from the principal or the principal’s designee.  Examples of special events include public functions; conferences and regional, state and national competitions.

• Subpoena by law enforcement agency or mandatory court appearance.

• Other individual student absences beyond the control of the parent/guardian or student, as determined by the principal or principal’s designee.  The principal shall require documentation related to the condition.

UNEXCUSED SCHOOL ABSENCES AND TARDIES

Any absence or tardy that does not fall into one of the abovementioned excused absence categories will be considered unexcused.  Any student who has been absent from school will be marked unexcused until he/she submits appropriate documentation, as specified above. 

Failure to provide required documentation within three (3) school days upon the return to school will result in an unexcused absence.

Unexcused absences include:

• Absences due to vacations; personal services and non-school events, programs and sporting activities.
• Absences due to older siblings providing daycare services for younger siblings.
• Absences due to the illness of others.
• Absences due to non-compliance with immunization requirements (unless lawfully exempted).