Administrative Procedure 308: Absence of Students

Education Act: Section 21 Compulsory Attendance, When Attendance Excused, Duty of Parent; Education Act: Section 265 1 (c) Duties of Principal: Register Pupils and Record Attendance

Administrative Procedure (AP) 307 Safe Arrival: Kindergarten to Grade 8; AP 346 Children in Need of Protection; Form 307A Safe Arrival: Letter of Responsibility, Form 307B Safe Arrival Daily Attendance Grid

The Director of Education has developed this administrative procedure to provide procedures for validating and reporting student absence.

2.1 Student absence requires verification from parents/guardians or the student if the student is over 18 years of age.
2.2 Students may be excused by the principal upon written request from parents/guardians or the student if the student is over 18 years of age.

3.1 A referral to a school attendance counsellor for a pupil with a prolonged 15-day consecutive absence shall not be made until the pupil’s 16th school day of consecutive absence for the purpose on the formal referral. On the 31st consecutive day of absence and every 15th consecutive day thereafter, the attendance counsellor must forward a report indicating the pupil’s file is still active. Where, for any reason the attendance counsellor indicates that the pupil’s file has become inactive, the pupil shall be shown as retirement on the day following the last 15-day period (e.g. the 31st day, the 46th day).

3.2 All schools must print and complete the “Attendance Referral Form” from Aspen’s report builder when referring a student to an Attendance Counsellor. Principals should indicate on the form the purpose of the referral and add comments or other information as appropriate. The date of the referral and the Principal’s or Vice-Principal’s signature must be on the form as per Enrolment Register Regulations.

3.3 Retention of the 15 consecutive absence referral and subsequent attendance reports is mandatory and to this end, the original will be placed in the student’s OSR and a copy will be placed in an attendance binder(s). Schools must maintain an “Attendance Binder – School Year” and all referrals and subsequent attendance reports should be kept in alphabetical order within this binder. This binder should be retained for four years as per Avon Maitland District School Board’s retention schedule. The binder shall be made available to Ministry or board staff during compliance audits.

3.4 Schools are also reminded to use the appropriate and specific standardized attendance code when a student is absent to ensure the attendance counsellor can counsel the student effectively. Grant Days and/or Non Instructional Days occurring within an otherwise unbroken series of fifteen days of absence does not break or add to the series. Schools should be indicating appropriate attendance “G” and “N” codes when applicable.

3.5 All schools, including Alternate Program sites (e.g. COPE, CASE, AMDEC) must have attendance entered into Aspen by the end of each week. The schools should retain the attendance sheet provided by the Alternate Program teacher. Alternate Program teachers should make the Principal and/or Vice-Principal aware of truant students, to ensure the referral can be made by School Administration. E-Learning attendance tracking is based upon enrolment regulations and not captured with Aspen.

 

Issued 2006