Terminology and Laws
From the California Attendance Guide, terminology and laws to support best practices and lessons learned about reducing chronic absenteeism.CAG Home | Introduction and Overview | School Guidance | District Guidance | COE Guidance
Using Attendance Data | Resources Available | Terminology and Laws | Acknowledgements
California Attendance Terminology and Laws
California law places a high value on student attendance, recognizing it as a key factor for students’ academic success. The following are some basic definitions, facts, and laws.
Average Daily Attendance
Total average daily attendance (ADA) is defined as the total days of student attendance divided by the total days of instruction (California Department of Education [CDE] 2025; Education Code sections 46000–46393). Because the California Local Control Funding Formula allocates dollars on a per-ADA basis (California Education Code sections 42238.02–42238.05), ADA functions not only as an attendance metric but as the core driver of district revenue.
California is one of only six states that fund most public schools based on average daily attendance, tying student attendance to district funding rather than total enrollment. An exception applies to basic aid districts, whose revenue from local property taxes exceeds what they would receive under the Local Control Funding Formula (CDE 2022; Hahnel and Baumgardner 2022
).
Chronic Absence
California defines a “chronic absentee” as a student who is absent for 10% or more of the school days in a year, calculated by dividing the total days absent by the total instructional days excluding weekends (California Education Code Section 60901[c][1]). The chronic absenteeism indicator in the California School Dashboard uses this definition to measure school performance (California School Dashboard Glossary). All districts and schools are expected to monitor and intervene when rates exceed this threshold (Attendance Works 2023).
Compulsory Education
California’s compulsory education law (California Education Code Section 48200) states, “Each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years not exempted under the provisions of this chapter or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 48400
) is subject to compulsory full-time education. Each person subject to compulsory full-time education and each person subject to compulsory continuation education not exempted under the provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 48400
) shall attend the public full-time day school or continuation school or classes and for the full time designated as the length of the school day by the governing board of the school district in which the residency of either the parent or legal guardian is located and each parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of the pupil shall send the pupil to the public full-time day school or continuation school or classes and for the full time designated as the length of the school day by the governing board of the school district in which the residence of either the parent or legal guardian is located. Unless otherwise provided for in this code, a pupil shall not be enrolled for less than the minimum school day established by law.” (Education Code Section 48200)
Truancy
California classifies a student as truant if they are “subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuing education [and are] absent from school without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more thana30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination there of […].” (Education Code Section 48260). California law requires, in part, that “[u]pon a [student’s] initial classification as a truant, the school district shall notify the [student’s] parent or guardian […]. [t]hat the [student] is truant.” (Education Code Section 48260.5[(a]))
The requirements for the school district’s first notice of truancy have been amended; the threats of prosecution and the suggestion that parents accompany their children to school/classes have been removed. Notifications that mental health and supportive services may be available, as well as the option to meet with school personnel to develop strategies to support the student’s attendance, have been added. (Education Code Section 48260.5, Stats. 2024, Chapter. 863, Section 2, effective. July 1, 2025)
A student is deemed a habitual truant if they have been “reported as a truant three or more times per school year, provided that no [student] shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an appropriate district officer or l employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the [student and the student], after filing of either of the reports required by Section 48260 or Section 48261 […].” (Education Code Section 48262)
A student is deemed a chronic truant
if they are “subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education [and are] absent from school without a valid excuse for 10 percent or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date […] provided that the appropriate school district officer or employee has complied with sections 48260
, 48260.5
, 48261
, 48262
, 48263
, and 48291
.” (Education Code 48263.6)
County and Local School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs)
SARBs were established to intervene in student attendance issues and divert students from the court system. As stated in California Education Code Section 48320(a), “In each county superintendent’s office and in each school district, one or more school attendance review boards may be established.” By the 2010s, SARBs had expanded to address chronic absence as well as unexcused absences. (Education. Code sections 48320–48321, 2024)
Supervisors of Attendance
Education Code Section 48240 provides, in part:
(a) The governing board of each school district and each county superintendent of schools shall appoint a supervisor of attendance and any assistant supervisors of attendance as may be necessary to supervise the attendance of pupils in the school district or county. The governing board of the school district or county superintendent of schools shall prescribe the duties of the supervisor of attendance and assistant supervisors of attendance to include, among other duties that may be required, those specific duties related to compulsory full-time education, truancy, work permits, compulsory continuation education, and opportunity schools, classes, and programs, now required of the attendance supervisors by this chapter and Article 4 (commencing with Section 48450
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that in performing his or her [their] duties, the supervisor of attendance promote a culture of attendance and establish a system to accurately track pupil attendance in order to achieve all of the following:
(1) Raise the awareness of school personnel, parents, guardians, caregivers, community partners, and local businesses of the effects of chronic absenteeism and truancy and other challenges associated with poor attendance.
(2) Identify and respond to grade level or pupil subgroup patterns of chronic absenteeism or truancy.
(3) Identify and address factors contributing to chronic absenteeism and habitual truancy, including suspension and expulsion.
(4) Ensure that pupils with attendance problems are identified as early as possible to provide applicable support services and interventions.
(5) Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies implemented to reduce chronic absenteeism rates and truancy rates.
In any district or districts with an average daily attendance of 1,000 or more school children, according to the annual school report of the last preceding school year, no district supervisor of attendance shall be appointed unless they have been lawfully certificated
for the work by the county board of education. (Education Code Section 48245)
Attendance Recovery
Education Code Section 46211 provides, in part:
(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, to address the educational and fiscal impacts of pupil absences, a local educational agency may implement attendance recovery programs for pupils to make up lost instructional time and offset absences, including reducing chronic absenteeism.
(b)(1) An attendance recovery program implemented pursuant to this article may be operated before or after school, on weekends, or during inter sessional periods. Local educational agencies Local educational agencies that operate attendance recovery programs shall offer access to attendance recovery programs throughout the school year, including, at least once during each term, such as each trimester or quarter. Average daily attendance generated through an attendance recovery program shall be credited to the school year in which the attendance recovery program is operated and the local educational agency in which the pupil is enrolled.
(2) Instructional time included for the purposes of generating average daily attendance pursuant to this section shall not be included within the instructional time used to meet the annual day and minute requirements pursuant to sections 46207
(c) Participation in an attendance recovery program shall not be compulsory or punitive for pupils. Pupils concurrently participating in both an attendance recovery program and an expanded learning opportunities program pursuant to Section 46120
(k) For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(2) “School year” has the same meaning as described in Section 37200
For additional information related to attendance recovery and ADA, please refer to the entirety of Education Code Section 46211.
Weekend Classes or Saturday School
Weekend Classes or Saturday School
Districts may offer make‑up classes on weekends. While the classes can be applied for apportionment, they may not be counted toward chronic absence. (Education Code Section 46211[d][2])
Independent Study
Independent study is an option that gives students greater flexibility in their studies. California law currently recognizes two modalities: traditional independent study and course‑based independent study (CBIS). Traditional independent study is governed by California Education Code sections 51744–51747.5, emphasizing individualized assignments and synchronous instruction as needed. CBIS is authorized under Education Code sections 51749.5–51749.6 and offers board‑approved online or hybrid coursework delivered with structured progress monitoring. The processes for instructional time and attendance accounting differ by modality. (Education Code sections 51744–51749.6, 2024)