1. Attendance & Truancy Among Virginia Students
Module 13:
Regulations Governing the Collection and Reporting of Truancy-Related Data and Student Attendance Policies
Welcome to Module 13 of our series entitled Attendance and Truancy Among Virginia Students. This session is entitled Regulations Governing the Collection and Reporting of Unexcused Absences and Truancy Data and Student Attendance Policies. Efforts to improve school attendance and reduce dropout rates are part of the larger effort to increase achievement and close performance gaps between student subgroups. Safe and healthy schools – ones that employ a challenging curriculum and reinforce high expectations for academics, behavior, and social responsibility – are schools that motivate students to attend.

2. The Purpose
This PowerPoint serves as No. 13 in a series of modules designed to equip Virginia school divisions to reduce truancy and absenteeism.
This module discusses the regulations and requirements governing the collection and reporting of unexcused absences, tardy data and student attendance policies.
Slide narration:
This learning module is the thirteenth in a series of modules designed to equip Virginia school divisions and schools with strategies, frameworks, and materials and resources to help you to increase attendance and reduce chronic absence. This module discusses the regulations and requirements governing the collection and reporting of unexcused absences, tardy data and student attendance policies, and addresses the criteria and procedures for the collection of data to identify students at risk of academic failure due to missed days at school.

3. Today’s Agenda Providing definitions of terms
Collecting and Reporting of data
Narrative: This session’s provides guidance to local education agencies on the recently revised regulations on attendance and truancy as it relates to definitions, unexcused absences, intervention processes and responsibilities, and data collection and reporting.

4. Effective Date
Regulations Governing the Collection and Reporting of Truancy Related Data and Student Attendance Policies 8-VAC approved at the June 23, 2016 meeting and became effective November 30, 2016.
The Board of Education approved the Regulations Governing the Collection and Reporting of Truancy Related Data and Student Attendance Policies 8-VAC at the June 23, 2016 meeting. The regulations became effective November 30, 2016.

5. Rationale
The regulations will produce more consistent data and support effective practices that will assist school divisions’ continuous improvement of daily school attendance.
The regulations will assist schools and divisions in producing consistent data and support best practices that will assist school division’s continuous efforts to improve daily school attendance. This data collection is necessary to construct a valid representation of nonattendance issues. The data should be used to evaluate and analyze student attendance patterns and issues at the school division and state levels. The resulting information should be used to strengthen efforts to engage students in daily school attendance.

6. 8-VAC , Part I
8 VAC , Part I, defines terms used in these regulations.
The new regulations include three sections. Section one includes definitions of terms in the regulations. Among the terms defined are excused and unexcused absences, attendance plans, and truancy. Others terms defined include conference, court referral, instructional school day, multi-disciplinary team, and parent.

7. 8-VAC , Part II
8 VAC , Part II, articulates the procedures and responsibilities for intervening with nonattendance behavior, in accordance with § of the Code of Virginia.
Part two articulates the procedures and responsibilities for intervening with nonattendance behavior.

8. 8-VAC 20-730, Part II Each local school board
shall provide guidance regarding what would constitute an excused absence in order to address when the explanation provided by the parent will be determined to be reasonable and acceptable.
shall develop procedures to ensure that appropriate interventions will be implemented when a student engages in a pattern of absences less than a full day, the explanation for which, if it were a full-day absence, would not be deemed an excused absence.
Section A and B of part two state that each local school board shall provide guidance regarding what would constitute an excused absence in order to address when the explanation provided by the parent will be determined to be reasonable and acceptable; develop procedures to ensure that appropriate interventions will be implemented when a student engages in a pattern of absences less than a full day, the explanation for which, if it were a full-day absence, would not be deemed an excused absence.

9. 8-VAC 20-730, Part II.C Intervention steps
Student fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day and no information is provided
Notify the parent by phone or or any other electronic means to obtain an explanation.
Record the student's absence for each day as "excused" or "unexcused."
Early intervention with the student and parent or parents shall take place for repeated unexcused absences.
Whenever a student fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day and no information has been received by school personnel that the student's parent is aware of and supports the absence, the school principal, attendance officer, or other school personnel or volunteer will notify the parent by phone or or any other electronic means to obtain an explanation. The school staff shall record the student's absence for each day as "excused" or "unexcused." Early intervention with the student and parent or parents shall take place for repeated unexcused absences.

10. 8-VAC 20-730, Part II.C Intervention steps
When a student has received five unexcused absences
parent notified by phone or to obtain an explanation
parent shall be contacted in a face-to-face conference, by telephone, or through the use of other communication devices
reasons documented and consequences explained
attendance plan shall be made and student may be referred to a school-based multi-disciplinary team.
When a student has received five unexcused absences, the school principal or the attendance officer shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that direct contact is made with the parent. The parent shall be contacted in a face-to-face conference, by telephone, or through the use of other communication devices. During the direct contact with the parent and the student (if appropriate), reasons for nonattendance shall be documented and the consequences of nonattendance explained. An attendance plan shall be made with the student and parent or parents to resolve the nonattendance issues. The student and parent may be referred to a school-based multi-disciplinary team for assistance implementing the attendance plan and case management.

11. 8-VAC 20-730, Part II.C Intervention steps
The student's sixth unexcused absence
Schedule a face-to-face attendance conference (within 10 school days)
Attendance conference must be held (within 15 school days)
The conference shall include the parent, student, school personnel and may include community service providers.
The school principal or the attendance officer shall schedule a face-to-face attendance conference, or an interaction that is conducted through the use of communication technology, within 10 school days from the date of the student's sixth unexcused absence for the school year. The attendance conference must be held within 15 school days from the date of the sixth unexcused absence. The conference shall include the parent, student, and school personnel (which may be a representative or representatives from the multi-disciplinary team) and may include community service providers.

12. 8-VAC 20-730, Part II.C Intervention steps
Seventh unexcused absence for the school year.
The division superintendent or designee shall contact the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court intake to file a complaint alleging the student is a child in need of supervision (CHINSup) or to institute proceedings against the parent.
All records of intervention shall be presented to the intake worker.
The school principal shall notify the attendance officer or division superintendent of the student's seventh unexcused absence for the school year. The division superintendent or designee shall contact the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court intake to file a complaint alleging the student is a child in need of supervision (CHINSup) or to institute proceedings against the parent. In addition to documentation of compliance with the notice provisions of § of the Code of Virginia, all records of intervention regarding the student's unexcused absences, such as copies of the conference meeting notes, attendance plan, and supports shall be presented to the intake worker.

13. 8-VAC , Part II.D
A record shall be maintained of each meeting that includes:
the attendance plan;
the name of individuals in attendance;
the location and date of the conference;
a summary of what occurred; and
follow-up steps.
A record shall be maintained of each meeting that includes the attendance plan, the name of individuals in attendance at each conference meeting, including if the conference was held via telephone or other electronic devices, the location and date of the conference, a summary of what occurred, and follow-up steps.

14. 8-VAC 20-730-30, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Requirements.
Shall begin on the first day students attend for the school year.
A student's attendance is cumulative and begins on the first official day of the school year or the first day the student is officially enrolled.
Nonattendance days are cumulative and begin with the first absence.
Truancy shall start with the first unexcused absence and will be cumulative
Part three of the Code describes data collection and reporting requirements. Data collection shall begin on the first day students attend for the school year. Each school division shall provide student level attendance data for each student that includes the number of unexcused absences in a manner prescribed by the Virginia Department of Education. A student's attendance is cumulative and begins on the first official day of the school year or the first day the student is officially enrolled. All nonattendance days are cumulative and begin with the first absence. For purposes of this data collection, truancy shall start with the first unexcused absence and will be cumulative.

15. 8-VAC 20-730, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Indicators
All excused and unexcused absences as defined in these regulations for each individual student to be collected.
# of Days Absent
# of Unexcused Absences
Excused and unexcused absences shall be counted for each individual student and shall be reported to the Virginia Department of Education as follows: Indicator1. All excused and unexcused absences for each individual student shall be collected. Currently divisions are required to report for each student the number of days absent and the number of unexcused absences. This will remain the same, as the number of excused absences can be extrapolated from this data.

16. 8-VAC 20-730, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Indicators
2. For each student with five unexcused absences, whether an attendance plan was developed, and if not, the reason.
Y/N
If N, reason: (select one)
Outreach to Parent not successful
Parent Refused
No longer enrolled
Indicator two. For each student with five unexcused absences, whether an attendance plan was developed, and if not, the reason.

17. 8-VAC 20-730, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Indicators
3. For each student with six unexcused absences, whether an attendance conference was scheduled, and if not, the reason.
A. Y/N
B. If N, reason: (select one)
1. Outreach to Parent not successful
2. Parent Refused
3. No longer enrolled
Indicator three. For each student with six unexcused absences, whether an attendance conference was scheduled, and if not, the reason.

18. 8-VAC 20-730, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Indicators
4. For each student with six unexcused absences, whether an attendance conference was actually held, and if not, the reason.
A: Y/N.
B: If N, reason: (select one)
1. Participants not able to attend the meeting
2. No longer enrolled
3. End of the school year
Indicator four. For each student with six unexcused absences, whether an attendance conference was actually held, and if not, the reason.

19. 8-VAC 20-730, Part III Data Collection and Reporting Indicators
5. For each student with seven unexcused absences, whether a court referral or if proceedings against the parent or parents were initiated, and if not, the reason (two questions)
Q1. Was a complaint filed alleging the student is a child in need of supervision (CHINS)?
A1: Y/N
Q2. Proceedings filed against the parent?
A2: Y/N
B2: If “N” to both questions, then choose one of the following reasons:
Successful intervention strategies in process.
No longer enrolled
Indicator five. For each student with seven unexcused absences, whether a court referral was made or if proceedings against the parent or parents were initiated and, if not, the reason.
This will be collected on Fall, Spring & EOY
Are the unexcused abs required?
Unexcused abs are only required for EOY
If they report it on Fall & Spring, it doesn’t appear that the data is being saved. Looked in student_rec and the unexcused abs column was blank for Fall & Spring but data pulled when I looked at EOY
This will need to be saved at each file submission - This will be a change to the package
Need Misc data section added to fall.
Need to collect days in session.
03/03/ Confirmed with Susan - No changes will be made until Fall 2017

20. Resources & Professional Development
Data Training - Susan Williams Office
Online Resources
Attendance and Truancy Conference-TBD
Attendance Awareness Month- September
Attendance Works- attendanceworks.org
12 Module Attendance Training series

21. Virginia Department of Education Office of Student Services
Thank You
Virginia Department of Education
Office of Student Services
JoAnn Burkholder
Director
Joseph Wharff
School Counseling Specialist