Attendance

MVRHS Attendance Philosophy

Evidence shows that consistent attendance in class and punctuality are foundations to success for high school students. The MVRHS community values these educational characteristics and believes in the importance of classroom interaction on student learning. Learning is an ongoing process in which the dynamics of a classroom and the learning experiences created by the teacher are as important as the individual work a student does in a class. We believe that absences from classes are detrimental to the learning process and affects not only the student who is absent, but also the classroom learning dynamic.

Chronic absenteeism will impact credit accumulation, and in some cases, grades. Teachers will work to ensure students have access to work during absences, but they are not able to recreate the experience of being in the class and engaging in classwork, some of which may be counted towards class participation and project work.

In cases where students have long term or ongoing medical issues/challenges that prevent them from attending class for a significant amount of time, the school may work with the family to develop a plan to or create a 504. Our ultimate goal in creating any plan or 504 is to help students re-engage as fully as possible with the curriculum while supporting their physical and emotional well being. In such cases, it is likely that the student will be given the opportunity to make up time and work after school in the ACCESS program or in summer school.

When a Student Absent

The parent/guardian should:

• Report all absences, dismissals, and tardies/lates to school by phone at 508.693.1033 x 110 or by this contact form.
  
• Provide documentation for excused absences within 10 days of the absence.
  
• Communicate with the guidance counselor and teachers for any pre-planned extended absence if they wish to create a plan for keeping up with work during the absence. If these are planned absences that stem from a documented medical situation (surgery, etc.) or a structured educational alternative program (educational exchange program), the Principal will meet with the family to preempt the appeal process and will then request the Guidance Counselor work with the family to develop an appropriate plan. Some people may choose to take long term absences for vacation or travel. These absences will count as unexcused absences, and may result in a reduction in credit earned for courses.

The school will:

• Send an email the following day showing the previous day’s absences and cuts.
• Notify guardians when the student is in danger of losing credit for a course.
• MVRHS Administration or Guidance will make a reasonable effort to meet with guardian(s) of a student who has a pattern of absences in order to develop an action plan to improve attendance. If attendance does not improve after school interventions, the school may take the following actions:
  • File a 51A for guardian neglect with the Department of Children and Families.
  • Submit a CRA petition to the County of Dukes County Juvenile Court.
  • File a Failure to Send, Criminal Complaint against the guardian at County of Dukes County Court.
• Provide students with an opportunity for credit recovery in cases where a student has lost credit in a course due to absences. In these cases, students will need to engage in credit recovery work, retake the course, or retake an equivalent course/credit bearing option.
• Withdraw students with unexcused absences for ten consecutive days. Withdrawal from school may result in a loss of credit for all courses.
• Provide an opportunity for students and families to appeal a reduction or loss of credit. The appeals committee will be composed of representation of Administration, Teaching staff, Guidance, and the attendance office, and, when appropriate, the school nurse.

Loss of Credit Due to Absences

All research supports the notion that school attendance is an essential indicator of student success and positive school outcomes. At MVRHS, we will work with students and families to ensure students are in regular attendance. In the case of a major illness or a major life event, it is understandable that a student may be absent for an extended time, but in such a situation, the family and the school will work together to create a supportive plan to make up any time/work if a student misses a more than 15% of class time.

A student cannot exceed 10 absences per year in a year long course, and 5 absences in a semester long course.

Students may not earn full credit in a course upon exceeding the number of maximum absences in that course. A student will have the opportunity to re-enroll in the course at a later time, or to engage in credit recovery options. Once a student has reached the 10 day absence threshold, the student and guardian will be scheduled for a meeting with administration to discuss a plan moving forward.

1. A student will stay enrolled in a course, even if the credits earned are reduced due to unexcused absences. The grade will show on a student’s transcript and will count for eligibility and, where applicable, GPA.
   
2. In the case where a student has 10 or more excused absences in a course in one year, MVRHS will award full credit as long as the student:
   • Has worked with guidance or administration to make a plan to address missed work AND
   • Has not accumulated absence/late/tardy/dismissals or cuts in the course.
   • Students who miss more than 15% of class time may lose credit for the course. They can work a plan out with their Guidance Counselor to either attend after school tutoring through our ACCESS program or may enroll in summer school.

We have long wrestled with the difference between an A (absence) and AE (excused absence). Unless a student is cutting class or school, they all have a valid reason to be absent. We do not want to be the arbiters of what is excused and what is not. What we are most concerned about is ensuring that students are in school for at least 85% of the time (a MA. general law threshold). As we have shared prior, attendance is a very important indicator of academic success, positive mental health and prosocial engagement.

If a student is not present in school for the minimum amount of time, we will work with families to create a time when students can re-engage, get academic help and make up school time. Currently, we have options such as ACCESS during and after school.

If a student is absent from school, they alway have the opportunity to make up the work (please see guidelines for make up work). However, we cannot completely recreate the classroom experience, and there is an inherent detriment to being absent. A teacher cannot be expected to create alternative assignments or experiences that fully address the missed class.

What this means for you

All absences will be an “A”. All school day absences are considered excused in that students have opportunities to make up their work. You can provide documentation of an extended absence or pattern of absence.

Please let us know if your student will be absent, and please notify the guidance counselor, school adjustment counselor, or nurse if a major life event will lead to extended absences. In this case, we can work proactively to make a plan to address the loss of school time. You will receive notification every two weeks to let you know the number of daily absences your child has. We hope this system helps you celebrate great attendance and monitor any concerning numbers.

Students who miss more than 15% of the school year, per course may not earn full credit in that course. Credit may be reinstated in courses through a credit appeal. If your child is absent from school more than 15% of the time, or on track to miss more than 15% of the school year, we will reach out to set up a meeting to set up a plan to support you and your student.

Definitions of Attendance Codes

Absence (A): Any block where a student is not “present” in the classroom. All absences can have documentation which is to be provided to the school within 10 days of their return., documentation submitted after 10 days must be approved by the principal. Documentation for any of the below will be recorded in the student’s attendance records and will be reviewed during any attendance meetings a student may have. An accumulation of absences may result in a loss of credit. Students that are absent from school may not participate in extracurricular activities that day.

• Medical (with date specific medical documentation to the school nurse)
• Bereavement (a note with dates from a guardian)
• Observance of major religious holidays
• Legal (with documentation from court, lawyer or probation officer)
• College Visits – Seniors and Juniors may take up to three (3) days which are for college visits, interviews, or student acceptance days. The student must turn in verification from the college (an email from the admissions office or a note on official letterhead with a school official signature that includes the date(s) the student visited) in order for it to be recorded in their records.
• Dismissal by the school nurse or administration (sent home for illness, suspension, etc)
• Other – Situational, with the principal’s (or their designee) approval.

Class Cut (C): If a student misses any portion of a class without verified purpose and permission from a teacher or staff member, it is a cut. If a student is gone for more than 10 minutes without verified purpose, it is a cut. A student will receive an afterschool consequence for the cut, and will not have the opportunity to make up any work missed, or hand in work that was due on that day. Athletes may not participate in sports on days they have cut class, and they may be excluded from practices or games on days they are assigned a consequence as the result of a cut.

Dismissed (D): A guardian may choose to dismiss their child before the end of the day. A dismissal is considered an absence and, if frequent, could lead to loss of credit in the class(es) missed. When a guardian comes to pick up their student from school for early dismissal they must come into the front of the building to check in.

School Sponsored Travel (SST): Field trips, overnight trips sponsored by the school, and sporting trips are not considered absences. However, students are still responsible for making up work and adhering to deadlines as outlined below.

Late to School (L): If a student arrives late to school, they will sign in with the attendance person in the front office. The student will receive a late admit slip to present to their teacher. If a student misses the majority of the class, it may be counted as an absence and, if frequent, could result in a loss of credit in the course and a consequence. Students may not have the opportunity to make up missed class work as a result of being late. Athletes who arrive after 800 am cannot participate in athletics for the day. Five lates to school will result in a consequence.

Tardy to Class (T): If the student does not have a pass excusing their lateness, they will be marked Tardy (T). Five tardies to class will result in a consequence.

Other (O): If a student misses an entire class but is within one of our support offices (Nurse, Guidance, Student Affairs, Front Office, Special Education, etc.) their attendance code will be updated to “O” indicating they were “present” in the building but not in that class.

Grade Codes Related to Absences

Incomplete Grades (I): In certain cases, due to illness, students may receive an incomplete grade on their report card. All work must be made up within 10 school days after the course has ended. If the work is not made up, a zero will be recorded for the missed work, and averaged into the final grade.

Medical Pass (MP): If, as a result of a major medical condition, a student is unable to complete a significant amount of work in a quarter, the other quarter’s score will carry over as the semester grade in a semester-long course (when averaged with the appropriate exam score). In a year-long course, the final grade will be an average of the three quarters and the final and midterm exams. A student must have attained at least a passing grade in the course (60 or above) in order to utilize a medical pass. Please note, in sequential classes, a medical pass does not guarantee high student performance. Students may not be required to make up work that is essential to their understanding of the coursework. We recommend students take the opportunity to engage in extra support and tutoring to keep up with their work. All medical passes are determined by the student’s guidance counselor, with impact from the student’s support team.