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Policy FBBC - Learner Validated Attendance

Policy FBBC- Learner Validated Attendance (PDF)

Issue Date: September 15, 2021

 

Definitions

  1. Attendance validated program– A program within the District that consists of eligible, enrolled public-school students who physically attend school in a brick and mortar school.
  1. Blended learning program– A formal education program under the direction of the District in which a student learns through an integrated experience that is in part: 

                        (a)       through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, or pace; and 

                        (b)       in a supervised brick-and-mortar school away from home.

  1. Board– Juab School District Board of Education.
  1. Brick and mortar school– A school where classes are conducted in a physical school building. 
  1. Competency-based learning program– An education program that provides instruction through competency-based education as defined in Utah Code Ann. § 53F-5-501.
  1. District– Juab School District.
  1. Learner validated enrollment measurement– A methodology used to establish a student’s membership or enrollment status for purposes of generating membership days.
  1. Learner validated program– A program within the District that consists of eligible, enrolled public-school students where the student receives instruction through: 

                        (a)       an online learning program;

                        (b)       a blended learning program; or 

                        (c)       a competency-based learning program. 

Background

This policy is in compliance with Utah Board Rule R277-419 Pupil Accounting, which requires that an LEA utilizing a learner validated program do the following:

  1. adopt a written policy that designates a learner validated enrollment measurement to document the learner validated membership or enrollment status for each student enrolled in the learner validated program consistent with R277-419-5(3)(c);
  2. document each student’s continued enrollment status in compliance with the learner validated enrollment policy at least once every ten (10) consecutive school days; and
  3. appropriately adjust and update student membership records in the student information system for students that did not meet the learner validated enrollment measurement, consistent with R277-419-7(3)(c);

Frequency and Location of Learner Validated Attendance

Learner validated attendance will be taken daily and reviewed and updated weekly on the last school day of each week. Learner validated attendance will be entered as follows:

 

  1. Daily attendance will be entered into the Student Information System (SIS) in adherence to District Policy FBB.
  2. Students physically in attendance will be marked present. Students not physically in attendance will be marked as absent. Excused attendance will be adjusted by the front office.
  3. On the last school day of each week, each student that was marked absent during the weekly marking period will be assessed by the classroom teacher to determine if they have met the minimum criteria to be marked as virtually present. Upon this determination, the teacher will replace the marks for absences in the SIS with a V (virtual attendance) code. 

Continuing Enrollment Measures.

The District recognizes a variety of measures that may be used to determine if a student participated in the learner validated program in an 1) online, 2) blended, or 3) competency-based learning environment (digital or analog) when reporting learner validated enrollment. The determination of attendance will be the decision of the classroom instructor based on a sufficient level of engagement in the weekly educational goals established in each course. Sufficient engagement is the production of enough evidence of learning that the teacher feels confident the student is prepared to engage in the following weekly educational goals. Some examples of potential measures of evidence, that could be used either singularly or in combination with one another, include:

  1. Evidence that validates student learning (e.g., online or offline assignment submissions, rubric-scored written work, presentations, and artistic performances and products, research projects, formative assessment results, progress toward academic goals, student portfolios, demonstrated competency assessments, explicit self-reflection on what students have learned related to institutional programs such as service-learning, student ratings of their knowledge, skills, and reflections on what they have learned over the course of a specified period of time).
  2. Evidence that validates student participation (e.g., Learning Management login data; discussion boards; completion of math and literacy supplemental software; virtual conferencing software participation, classroom response systems (surveys/polls/quick checks), observations of fieldwork, internship performance, service learning, or clinical experiences, feedback from computer-simulated tasks, Social/Emotional Learning tools, number of student hours spent at intellectual or cultural activities related to a course).
  3. Evidence that validates student communication (e.g., emails from students or other electronic messages, student surveys, conversations by phone, feedback exchanges via LMS, assignment pick-up/drop-off).
  4. Duration/Frequency minimums for student participation (e.g., minimum student login or teacher contact requirement; minimum hourly requirement, per day or week, when students are engaged in course work; required periodic contact with a licensed educator).

Continued Enrollment Status

Attendance will be marked every day for all students. Learner validated attendance will be determined weekly on the last school day of the week. A student marked present will be counted as a full day attendance unless marked otherwise.

Truancy, Absenteeism, and Parent Notification

A student will be considered in good standing if they have no unexcused absences. Any unexcused absence will be subject to Juab School District Policy FBB and will be referred to the school administration. The school shall make reasonable efforts to resolve the school attendance problems of its students. To the extent deemed reasonably feasible by the Board or its designee in individual cases, such reasonable efforts shall include the following: 

 

  1. Counseling of the student by school authorities;
  2. Issuing a Notice of Truancy;
  3. Adjusting the curriculum and schedule if determined necessary to meet special needs of the student;
  4. Considering alternatives proposed by the parent or legal guardian;
  5. Monitoring school attendance of the student;
  6. Voluntarily participating in truancy mediation, if available;
  7. Providing the student’s parent or legal guardian, upon request, a list of resources available to assist the parent or legal guardian in resolving the student’s attendance problems; and
  8. Enlisting the assistance of community and law enforcement agencies as appropriate to the extent permitted under Utah Code § 53G-8-211.

Amending Student Membership

In accordance with R277-419-5 any student that has had no contact or participation for ten (10) consecutive days in the learner validated program shall be removed from the Juab School District membership role.