Child Welfare and Attendance is a specialized student support service that covers compliance with compulsory education laws, student admission and enrollment procedures, student discipline procedures, transfers to alternative programs, and school climate and safety. Child welfare and attendance combines the knowledge and skill of counseling with knowledge of education and the law to resolve complicated situations involving school choice, student discipline, campus safety, and programs for high-risk youth.
Definition of Chronic Absentee
A "chronic absentee" has been defined in Education Code (EC) Section 60901(c)(1) as "a pupil who is absent on 10 percent or more of the school days in the school year when the total number of days a pupil is absent is divided by the total number of days the pupil is enrolled and school was actually taught in the regular day schools of the district, exclusive of Saturdays and Sundays."
Chronic Absence Policy Forum
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s forum on policies for reducing chronic absences scheduled for May 19, 2011, featuring national dropout prevention expert Bob Balfanz from John Hopkins University and chronic absence expert Hedy Chang from AttendanceWorks.
Communicating the Importance of School Attendance
Excellent toolkit for communicating the importance of regular school attendance to parents and students.
School Attendance
Improvement Strategies
Selected school attendance practices identified as having a positive
effect in encouraging students to regularly attend all their high
school classes.
Reporting Requirements for Severance of Attendance
Information on EC Section 48203,
which requires the superintendent of a school district or the principal of a private school to report the severance of attendance of children with exceptional needs or handicapped children.
Publications
School Attendance
Improvement Handbook (PDF)
The School Attendance Handbook provides strategies to improve school attendance.
Present, Engaged, and Accounted For
This document focuses on the critical importance of addressing chronic absence in the early grades.
Sample Letters
Sample letters and notifications taken from Appendix C of the School Attendance Improvement Handbook.
First Truancy Letter (English) (DOC)
Available Translations of the First Truancy Letter
The First Truancy Letter informs parents their child may be considered a truant.
Second Truancy Letter (English) (DOC.)
Available Translations of the Second Truancy Letter
The Second Truancy Letter informs parents of their child's continued attendance problems.
Third Truancy Letter (English) (DOC)
Available Translations of the Third Truancy Letter
The Third Truancy Letter informs parents that their child may be considered a habitual truant.
First Notification Letter of Expulsion Hearing (English) (DOC)
Available Translations of the First Notification Letter of Expulsion
The First Notification Letter of Expulsion Hearing informs parents of a meeting to consider possible expulsion.
Second Notification of Board Approved Expulsion (English) (DOC)
Available Translations of the Second Notification of Board Approved Expulsion
The Second Notification of Board Approved Expulsion informs parents of a board-approved expulsion.
