ATTENDANCE MATTERS
In Scott County!!
Why Attendance Matters
 | Better attendance leads to more learning. |
| Better grades lead to better behavior. |
| Today's students need more skills to be better prepared for the 21st Century workforce.. |
| Good attendance habits now mean good attendance habits on the job in the future. |
| Students who attend school regularly are less likely to drop out before school graduation. |
| Students who attend school regularly are less likely to be involved in risky behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, and crime. |
| State law requires that students attend school (I.C. 20-8.1-3-17) |
| TANF benefits require good school attendance. |
"Every hour of school missed is time lost that the future cannot
repair."
Rod Paige
Former US Secretary of Education
How Schools Treat Absences
These count against the record:
| Short-term illness or injury |
| Medical or dental appointments |
| Vacation |
| Bereavement/funeral |
| Other personal business |
| Truancy/skipping school |
These do not count against the record:
| Court appointments |
| Suspensions |
| School-sponsored field trips |
| Doctor documented chronic medical incapacitation |
| U.S. military service obligations |
| Service as a page for the General Assembly |
How Scott County Treats Absences
Scott County Attendance Plan
|
Level 1 - 4th absence of the year = Individual school intervention |
|
Level 2 - 7th absence of the year = (missed school benchmark) School attendance officer notifies parent by letter |
|
Level 3 - 10th absence of the year = (missed school benchmark) Scott County Prosecutor notifies parent by letter and mandatory Scott County Attendance Review Board* (SCARB) is held with the parent and student. An action plan for attendance will be developed. Service agency assistance is offered. |
| Level 4 - 15th absence of the year = Parent and student are cited to meet with Child Protective Services or Scott County Probation. A formal assistance plan is set with follow-up expectation. |
*SCARB meetings are held at the Scott County Courthouse. Participants will include parent, student(s), a school representative, family resource representative, a mental health representative, and a staff member from the Scott County Family Resource Center.
5 Questions
1. What are we doing correctly?
2. What makes these things work?
3. What needs to be improved?
4. How do we use the things that work to assist us in improvement
5. What do we have to measure?
.