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Student Attendance Policies

MAYA ANGELOU PCS & YOUNG ADULT LEARNING CENTER
Student Attendance Policies 📚

 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Attending classes is an essential commitment that each student has made to the school and, more  importantly, to themselves. If a student is absent or late, it can negatively affect their learning  and the learning of others. The Student Support Specialist (SSS) team leads daily attendance  outreach. This outreach consists of making phone calls home, sending letters, and conducting  home visits with the goal of understanding barriers to student attendance and identifying  solutions and supports. While excused and unexcused absences are distinguished for  recordkeeping purposes, it is important to note that missing significant time from school can  adversely affect overall student performance.  

Truancy  

MAPCS knows that a significant percentage of our students come to us having been truant and  require a comprehensive approach to helping them become comfortable in the school setting.  MAPCS complies with the District of Columbia Compulsory Education and School Attendance  Clarification Amendment Act of 2016 and personalizes our approach to attendance monitoring  by conducting routine home visits, facilitating parental meetings, convening a Student Support  Team (SST) meeting, and recommending students to join our Residential Program, which is  prioritized by need and circumstance. 

Students who accumulate 10 or more unexcused absences within the school year are considered  chronically truant. MAPCS is required to make referrals to city agencies based on student age  and the number of unexcused absences accrued.  

Below is a breakdown of consequences for repeated absences: 

  • If a minor student 14 years of age through 17 years of age accumulates 15 unexcused  full-day absences, MAPCS will make a referral to the Court Social Services Division of  the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and to the Office of the Attorney General  within two (2) business days of the 15th absence.  
  • If a student reaches 20 consecutive unexcused full-day absences, MAPCS reserves the  right to remove the student from the rolls for non-attendance.  

Absences will be addressed in the following manner in an effort to strengthen attendance:

Unexcused Absences  School Response / Consequence for Student

 

MAPCS – HS Handbook 2022-2023 Page 18 of 98 

(Full School Days)
1-2  Phone Call Home
3-4  Letter Home/Home Visit 

Robocall to Parent/Guardian
5  SST/Truancy Conference 

Attendance Intervention Plan
6  Home Visit Conducted/Warning Letter Sent
10  Truancy Warning Letter 

CFSA Referral for students age 13 and under
15  Court Social Services Letter 

Referral to Court Social Services & Office of the Attorney General
20  Roster Removal Notification Letter*

 

* MAPCS makes every attempt to engage students and families to regularly attend school. After  the prescribed number of absences, various city agencies will engage with your student and your  family. In the event that your student accumulates more than 20 consecutive unexcused full-day  

absences, MAPCS may, but is not required to, exit the student for non-attendance. When the  student and/or family are ready for the student to re-engage in schooling, they may contact  MAPCS for the next steps on re-enrollment. 

Excused vs. Unexcused Absences for School-Aged Students 

The following absences from school are considered excused and must be accompanied by  appropriate documentation: 

(a) Illness or other bona fide medical cause experienced by the student;  

(b) Exclusion, by direction of the authorities of the District of Columbia, due to quarantine,  contagious disease, infection, infestation, or other condition requiring separation from other  students for medical or health reasons; 

(c) Death in the student’s family;

MAPCS – HS Handbook 2022-2023 Page 19 of 98 

(d) Necessity for a student to attend judiciary or administrative proceedings as a party to the  action or under subpoena; 

(e) Observance of a religious holiday; 

(f) Lawful suspension or exclusion from school by school authorities; 

(g) Temporary closing of facilities or suspension of classes due to severe weather, official  activities, holidays, malfunctioning equipment, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, or other  condition(s) or emergency requiring a school closing or suspension of classes; (h) Failure of the District of Columbia to provide transportation in cases where the District of  Columbia has legal responsibility for the transportation of the student;  

(i) Medical or dental appointments for the student;  

(j) Absences to allow students to visit their parent or a legal guardian, who is in the military;  immediately before, during, or after deployment; and  

(k) An emergency or other circumstances approved by an educational institution.  

Excused Absence Documentation 

Approved excused absences are considered excused when written documentation (letter, e-mail,  or note) is submitted within five (5) school days of the absence. Written documentation received  after five (5) school days must be approved by the school administration. Excuse Note forms  may also be obtained from the front office or your student’s Student Support Specialist. The  following is a list of appropriate documentation: 

  1. Note from a physician on their letterhead with the date and reason for the absence. b. Absence resulting from a court appearance, probation appointment, or absence related to a legal issue or concern that is documented on letterhead from that law affiliated  organization.  
  2. Appointment with a social service agency/employee on the letterhead for that Organization. 
  3. Handwritten note(s) by parent/legal guardian. The note must include date(s) of  absence(s), the reason for absence, contact phone number, and the student’s full name. e. Email notification from the parent or legal guardian. The note must include date(s) of  absence(s), the reason for absence, contact phone number, and the student’s full name. f. Obituary and/or funeral program of a family member 

Unexcused Absences 

Unexcused absences are any absence that does not fall into one of the categories listed under the  excused absences list. Students who accumulate 10 or more unexcused absences within the  school year are considered chronically truant. MAPCS is required to make referrals to city  agencies based on student age and the number of unexcused absences accrued. 

MAPCS – HS Handbook 2022-2023 Page 20 of 98 

Tardiness 

Classroom instruction is essential for student academic success. Students arriving late to school  are considered tardy. In the event that the student will arrive late to school, it is advised that the  student or parent/guardian of the minor student(s) call the main office of the school. 

Early Departures 

Students who need to leave prior to the approved end of their school day must follow the below  procedure: 

  • A parent/guardian must be reacjhable and verify the approval of early departure. Parents  can send a written note for dismissal. In the instance a phone call is made, written  communication must immediately follow. 
  • Any community support worker and/or social worker attempting to retrieve a student  must present proper credentials upon arriving at the main office and prior to speaking  with a student. There must be documentation on file identifying said community support  worker and/or social worker as authorized to have access to the student and/or student  records. 

A pattern of early dismissals will require an SST referral. Three unexcused early  dismissals (Walking out or leaving the building) will be considered an unexcused absence  and the student will be scheduled for a parent conference.