Purpose and Philosophy

Springville High School recognizes that there is a direct and substantial correlation between school attendance and academic achievement.  SHS also recognizes that as students develop reliable attendance habits, they are demonstrating a life skill that will positively impact their lives while in school and after graduation.  As such, SHS is committed to forming a cooperative alliance with parents and students in order to improve attendance.

 

It is the objectives of the Springville High School attendance policy 1) to help all students experience academic success by maximizing instructional time, 2) to help all of our students develop habits of punctuality that will help them both in school and in life, and 3) to eliminate the disruption that tardiness and truancy causes to the classroom learning environment.

 

It is also our intent to help our students meet their legal obligations set out under Nebo School District’s Attendance Policy, JED and the Utah compulsory education requirements, Utah Code Ann. 53-A-11-101, et seq.  While recognizing that it is primarily the student’s responsibility to have consistent and punctual attendance, SHS hopes to work with students and parents to remediate truancy in order to avoid referral to district or juvenile court.

 

Student Responsibilities

In order for students to increase their chances of academic success and to stay in good standing with the school, students should exhibit the following behaviors:

1.   Be to class on time and ready to learn every period.

2.   If you must leave school for any reason, please have your parents check you out through the attendance office.  You must also check back in at the attendance office if you return to school that day.

3.   It is your responsibility to make up any unexcused absences or tardies. You can make these up in approved detention halls or study labs (Please see attendance office or web-site for approved detention make up opportunities).

 

Parent Responsibilities:

In order to help their students succeed academically and to help them stay in good standing with the school, parents should do the following:

1. If your student misses school for an authorized reason (see excused absences), you may excuse that absence within the two following school days.  The two day limit, however, does not extend beyond the end of a grading period (Parents who feel their situation warrants exception – see due process procedures). 
2. Please verify that your student has checked out with the attendance office before leaving school.  (Calling before or sending a note with your student will simplify the check out process).
3. Please check SIS attendance regularly to track your student’s attendance and contact teachers before there is an extended absence.  This information can be found on the district web site under the parent tab at www.nebo.edu.

 

Teacher Responsibilities:

In order to help students succeed academically and to help parents maintain a clear picture of their son or daughter’s attendance patterns, teachers should do the following.

1. Teachers are responsible to accurately mark role each day.
2. Teachers are responsible to update SIS in a timely manner.
3. Teachers are responsible to communicate attendance related expectations including attendance requirements, grade computations and make up procedures and expectations to students and parents.

 

Administrator Responsibilities:

In order to help students succeed academically, to help minimize distractions to the learning environment and to help parents maintain a clear picture of student attendance, administrators will do the following:

1. School administration is responsible to communicate this policy to staff, students and parents.
2. School administration is responsible to work with families, teachers and staff to intervene early and often when students exhibit truant behavior.
3. School administration is responsible to ensure that the policy is implemented and enforced fairly and consistently.

Attendance Codes:

Teachers may enter or call in the following codes:

            T          Tardy (0-10 minutes late to class)

            L          Late Tardy (10+ minutes late to class)

            U         Unexcused Absence (Absent from class)

S          Sluff (verified by school personnel as not being in assigned area: class, assembly, library, etc.)  Faculty/Staff will call attendance to report.

            **Parent may not excuse a sluff.

 

Administrator and/or the attendance office may enter the following codes:

            E          Excused Absence

            N         Tardy was made up in detention

            D         Unexcused absence made up in detention

            Z          Student suspension

            A         Activity Excused

 

Excused Absences:

Parents may call and excuse an absence within 48 hours if a student missed a class for any of the following reasons:

an illness, the death of family member or close friend, an approved school activity, a medical, dental or orthodontic appointment, a family emergency, a family activity or an absence excused through a health care or other accommodation plan, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or a Section 504 accommodation Plan.

 

In specific cases of excessive absenteeism, administration may require a doctor’s note to excuse absences or, in cases of prolonged illness, place a student in the home and hospital program.

 

Rewards for Good Attendance:

A variety of rewards will be offered to students who demonstrate regular and punctual school attendance.         

1. Students who clear all detentions by the end of the term will be eligible for a prize drawing.
2. “Key Cards” will be given to those with perfect or greatly improved attendance.
3. Students with strong attendance will be eligible to attend regular attendance reward activities.  (See web site for a list
   of activities)
4. Students with detentions cleared by the end of the year will be eligible for an early yearbook party.
5. Students with detentions cleared by the end of the year may be eligible to schedule off-campus classes.
6. Students who demonstrate appropriate attendance patterns, and meet the following criteria may earn some detention credit at the end of the term: one, the student did not reach the level of attendance warning, two, the student had no documented sluffs, three, the student passed all classes, and four, the student was approved for detention credit by SHS administration.

 

Consequences for Poor Attendance:

Students are required to attend all classes on time unless properly excused.  Repeated truancy may result in detention, a concern letter, an attendance contract, a schedule change, tracking, no participation status, loss of parking privileges, a prescribed schedule, suspension, alternative placement, expulsion, Nebo Attendance Court, Juvenile Court referral, Board release or other school interventions.

 

Detention hours will be assigned as follows:

            T          3 tardies = 1 hour

            L          1/2 hour

            U         1 hour

            S          1.5 hours

 

No Participation List

At 5 hours of detention, an administrator, tracker or attendance secretary will notify parent that their student is on Attendance Warning.  If the behavior continues and the student reaches 10 hours - or at administrative discretion - the student will be placed on Attendance Probation. The student will have one week to work his or her detention hours below attendance warning status.  If the student does not do so, his or her name will be placed on the no participation list.  This prohibits the student from participating in any extracurricular activities until detention hours are made up.  These activities include: athletics, clubs, art performances, drivers education, school dances, school trips, yearbook parties*, graduation ceremonies* and other voluntary school activities.

* In order to attend these events, students must have all detention hours worked off.

 

A student who exhibits a pattern of truant behavior and is unable or unwilling to remediate that behavior may be given an alternative placement at the discretion of the school administration.  

 

Grade Computation

Springville High School is committed to the ideal that teacher instruction cannot be duplicated.  Direct instruction, group discussion and work, and similar classroom activities are difficult to replicate through make up.  As such, SHS students should be aware that attendance factors into their classroom grades.  Teachers can factor in up to 20 percent of their final grade based on attendance - this may be higher for participation courses or with written principal approval.  Please remember excessive absences, be they excused or unexcused, does impact not only individual grades but also the rigor of the curriculum.

 

Due Process

A parent may, within ten (10) calendar days of the date of notice of such action, appeal a contested unexcused absence or a Notice of Truancy.  If the tenth (10th) calendar day falls on a day other than a business day of the District, the appeal deadline is extended to the next business day.  All appeals shall be in writing and shall be made to the person from whom the notice came.  If no appeal is made within the timeline set forth above, the action described in the notice is final.  In the event of an appeal, the parent is entitled to the following:

 

Within ten (10) school days from the date of the appeal, the parent, student (when appropriate), teacher (if necessary), and a school administrator shall meet in an effort to resolve the matter.

 

In the event the matter is not resolved at the meeting with the school administrator, the parent may request the matter to be reviewed by a school multi-disciplinary team.  The school administrator shall meet with the school multi-disciplinary team who will render a decision on the matter.

 

In the event the matter is not resolved with the school multi-disciplinary team, the parent may request the matter to be reviewed by the School Community Council.  The School Community Council will be provided information concerning the issue but will not be given any information to personally identify the student.  The School Community Council will act as an advisory group and offer an opinion to the school administrator.  The school administrator will take into consideration the School Community Council’s opinion and will render a decision on the matter.

 

In the event the matter is not resolved with the School Community Council and school administrator, the parent may request a meeting with the Director of Secondary Education.  The decision of the Director of Secondary Education is final.

 

 Attendance Flow Chart

 

 

    

District Intervention

Additional 5 unexcused in a class or 20 more total.

 

 

Attendance Pyramid of Intervention