ATTENDANCE BROCHURE 2015-2016    

Attendance Office 210-397-8208 and 210-397-8248

Attendance Administrator Leandro Miranda, Assistant Principal 210-397-8217      

TEXAS STATE LAW AND ATTENDANCE Truancy I. TEXAS COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW: The Texas Education Code states a child is required to attend school from the age of 6 until they are 19 years old. Attendance Warning Notices: A student who accumulates 3 or more Unexcused Absences (UA), receive an Attendance Warning Notice (AWN). The school will issue the AWN to both the student and the parent/guardian. The AWN will state that it is the parent’s/guardian’s duty to monitor the student’s school attendance; require that the student to attend school; and that he/she is subject to prosecution under Section 25.093. Once a Warning Notice has been issued, only notes from a medical provider will be accepted to excuse an absence. Notes from parents/guardians will no longer be accepted. Truancy Court Referrals: If a student accumulates 5 additional Unexcused Absences after the Warning Notice has been issued, the student and parent will be referred to a Truancy Court Case Manager to discuss absences and an attendance agreement. If the student accumulates 2 additional Unexcused Absences after meeting with the Case Manager or refuses to come to an agreement with the Case Manager, a Court Referral for both the student and parent/guardian will be submitted to the Truancy Court for the prosecution of Truancy.

Credit II. ATTENDANCE FOR CREDIT: The Texas Education Code also states that students must be in attendance at least 90% of the time to receive credit. Therefore, student is only allowed nine (9) absences (both Excused and Unexcused) in a semester. Note: even if a student passes the course, a student will NOT receive credit for a class if he/she exceeds the number of allowable absences (9). The only absences which are exempt are: Health (H); School Business (SB); and College Visits (CV, 2 days per year, Jr.s & Sr.s only). Attendance Recovery: Attendance Recovery (AR) is an opportunity for students to recover credit(s) lost due to excessive absences. Attendance Recovery is offered on scheduled Wednesday afternoons during the school year from 4:15 pm to 7:15 pm. Location and dates are posted throughout the year. The student will be credited one period for every one hour of AR. AR hours can also be earned through Homework Center and Teacher Tutoring. An AR Log sheet can be obtained from the Attendance Office. AR Log sheets must be signed by the teacher and turned in on Monday for the previous week. Late AR Log sheets will NOT be accepted. The deadline to complete AR hours is the last day of the current semester.

19 or Older Students: A student who is 19 years old or older may be withdrawn if he/she accumulates 5 Unexcused absences in a semester. 

Participating in Attendance Recovery will NOT prevent or cancel a Warning Notice or a Court Referral. Notes are important. Turn in all notes to the Attendance Office, especially any medical notes. 2013‐14 Brandeis High School Attendance Brochure

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a student’s responsibility when he or she is absent? If a student is absent (whether for one class or all day) he/she must bring a note to the Attendance Office. This can be done before class begins, during lunch, or at the end of the school day. The note must include: the date; student name and ID number; date(s) of the absence; the specific reason for the absence(s); and the doctor or parent signature with a current & valid phone number. All Unexcused Absences must be cleared within 3 school days of the student’s return to school. Documentation must be provided even if a parent had called the school previously or signed the student out of school. If a note or other documentation is not received within 3 days of the absence, the absence will remain Unexcused. What Absences are Excused and which are Unexcused? “EXCUSED” (EA) absences include, but are not limited to: personal illness; family funerals; medical appointments; court appearances; District approved trips with documentation; and family emergencies. Students must provide proper documentation to have an absence changed to Excused. “UNEXCUSED” (UA) absences include, but are not limited to: car trouble; missing the bus/ride; oversleeping; caring for a family member; traffic; incomplete notes, family vacations, and truancy; The Attendance Office will determine if an absence is Excused or Unexcused and reserves the right to request additional documentation or verification. Appeals or questions in regard to absences or policy can be made to the Attendance Administrator.

2013‐14 Brandeis High School Attendance Brochure

What is a “Health” (H) excuse? A student who is absent because of a Health Care appointment will be initially coded as having an Unexcused Absence. This can be changed to a “Health” (H) absence if the following criteria are met: 1. The student is present for any part of the day. 2. The student signs out and/or signs in through the Attendance Office. 3. Documentation from a Health Care Professional is submitted confirming the appointment within 3 days of returning to school. The Attendance Office will review the documentation and decide if the absence meets the criteria for a “Health” absence. Only the Attendance Office enter the code for the “H” excuse. Teachers CANNOT change an absence to a “Health (H)” absence. “Health” absences will not count against a student as it relates to Attendance Warning Notices, Truancy Court referrals, or losing course credit. If a student is gone all day for a medical appointment, he/she will receive an “Excused Absence” (EA), NOT a “Health” (H) excuse. However, the student must still provide any notes and/or medical documentation to the Attendance Office within 3 days of returning to campus; otherwise, the absence will remain Unexcused. How is School Attendance related to obtaining a Texas Driver’s License? A student under 18 years of age needs a signed Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form to obtain a Texas instructional driver’s permit, a Texas driver’s license, or to renew a Texas driver’s license. This form verifies that he/she has been in attendance for at least 90% of the days classes are offered. A student with excessive absences who has lost credit for any class in the previous semester will NOT be issued a VOE form. This form can be requested through the school receptionist.

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Frequently Asked Questions (continued) How does a parent/guardian check a student out of school? If a student is to be checked out of school during the day, the parent/guardian should send a note with the student, to be dropped off in the Attendance Office before school begins. The student will then receive an early release pass from the Attendance Office. For our students’ safety, Brandeis requires the parent or guardian to physically report to the Attendance Office and present a valid ID in order to sign out a student. Both the student and parent/guardian must sign out in the Attendance Office before leaving campus. When the student returns to campus, he/she must turn in a note to the Attendance Office for the absence to be Excused. In the case of a Health Care appointment, the student must return with proper documentation from the medical office (see “Health” excuse).

What is the School Messenger? School Messenger is an automated phone call generated when a student is absent from one or more classes. The system calls the contact number on file with the campus to inform the parent/guardian that his/her child has been absent from class. If the parent/guardian would like to have this number changed for a more direct or efficient communication (e.g., cell phone or work phone), please contact the attendance office at 397-8208 or 397-8248 if What is an Attendance Medical Waiver? If a student has an extraordinary medical circumstance (e.g., a hospital stay due to an illness), the parent of the student may apply for an Attendance Medical Waiver in order to have these absences not counted against the student for course credit only. To apply: 1. Pick up an application from the Attendance Administrator in the Assistant Principals Office.

Signing out a student does NOT excuse an absence. A noted must be turned to the Attendance Office to be Excused.

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What if a student becomes ill at school? When a student becomes ill at school, he/she needs to report to the Nurse. The Nurse will determine if he or she should be sent home due to illness. If a student is sent home by the school nurse, this is considered an “Excused Absence” (EA) for the remainder of the day. Subsequent absences will require a parent note in order to be Excused. Should the nurse decide NOT to send a student home and the parent chooses to sign out his/her student anyway, this will be coded as an “Unexcused Absence” (UA).

3. All medical waiver applications and documentation must be in the Attendance Office by the last day of each semester.

Note for 19 year old Students: A student who is 19 or older must have a signed “Parent Relinquish Rights Form” on file to sign himself/herself out. If not, the student is considered Truant. Otherwise, a parent/guardian must check out the student according to the process described above.

Return the completed and signed application with any additional relevant copies of supporting documents (e.g., Health Care forms or letters).

4. Only days that have already been excused by a medical professional (EAPN) by a note that is on file with the Attendance Office will be considered for waiver. Once all information is submitted, an Attendance Committee will meet to determine acceptance or denial of the Waiver. Only one Attendance Medical Waiver per semester will be accepted. Seniors: Days that are waived are still included in the 3-day minimum for Senior Exemptions from Spring Semester Final Exams (see page 4).

For additional information of the District’s Attendance Policy, please refer to your Student/Parent Handbook, pages D-3 through D-7 2013‐14 Brandeis High School Attendance Brochure

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Spring Semester Final Exam Exemptions Senior Exemptions from Final Exams: Seniors can be exempt from 2nd semester final exams if they meet the following 4 conditions: 1. The Senior has 3 or fewer absences during the 2nd semester. Excused, Unexcused, Suspensions, and Waived absences are included in the 3 absences noted above. However, absences that are coded as School Business (SB), Health (H), College Visit (CV--only 2 days per school year), or Required Court Appearances (CRT) are NOT included. Please note that each type of absence require proper documentation to be accepted. 2. Is passing both semesters of a full year, 1 credit course, or the current semester of a 1/2 credit class. 3. The Spring semester average is 80 or better. 4. The Senior’s conduct grade for the spring semester must be “Satisfactory” or better. See page B-16 of the Student/Parent Handbook. A Special Note for All Students Attendance at Louis D. Brandeis High School is taken seriously. Excessive absences can affect whether or not you receive credit for a class, if you will graduate on time, or result in having to go to Truancy Court. “No Notes = Unexcused Absences = Attendance Warning Notice = Truancy Court.” Excused + Unexcused Absences >9 = No Credit Attendance Recovery can help No Credit. Attendance Recovery can NOT help Warning Notices or Truancy Court. Attendance is important every day, every period.   What if I still have questions? Refer to the Student/Parent Handbook and/or contact the Attendance Office or the Attendance Administrator.       Excellent sources of information about a student’s attendance and grades can be found through Parent Connection (via the NISD webpage), progress reports, and report cards. 2013‐14 Brandeis High School Attendance Brochure

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