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Attendance Policy

Attendance and Independent Study

Your child’s attendance at school is extremely important for academic success.  Studies show that students with high numbers of absences are more likely to experience behavioral difficulties or to drop out of school.  Under California law, students are required to attend school. 
 
We monitor daily student attendance very closely.  Students are excused from school only for personal illness, medical/dental/court appointments, and for funerals of immediate family members.  All other absences are considered unexcused and can result in a truancy meeting with the principal and Neighborhood Resource Officer.
 
If your child is absent from school, please send an email to cce.absence@sesd.org and include the following:
Child Name:
Your Name:
Teacher Name:
Grade Level:
Reason for the Absence: 


 
Please arrive at school a few minutes early every day, schedule doctor and dental appointments after school, and schedule family trips during the scheduled school holidays.  By doing so, you will help us provide your child with the best education possible!
Impact of Tardiness

1.  The first few minutes of class are loaded with information.

2.  Being tardy interrupts the class.

3.  It is embarrassing to arrive late to class.

4.  Arriving late leaves the student disoriented.

5.  Arriving late is distracting to the teacher and the students in class.

6.  A late student misses the start of the day socialization.

7.  Being late to class develops a habit of arriving late.

8.  Students that arrive to school late have more difficulty in school.

9.  Late students have a higher risk of dropping out of school.

10.  A habitually late student may have lower self esteem and confidence because of academic difficulties.

 

Attendance Works

Attendance_Works (PDF)

Independent Study

Trips should not coincide with days that school is in session. After school is in session, absences between 5 and 10 days can be given attendance credit as long as they are not at the end or beginning of a school year. Contracts will not be issued with dates beginning or ending before September 15 or after June 1. Days of attendance credit may bracket around school holidays as long as the school days are consecutive and do not exceed the number of days approved on the Independent Study Contract. A student may not exceed 10 independent study days per school year unless the student has a need that has qualified them for long-term independent study. Long-term independent study is available for specialized cases (i.e. health issues) and requires approval of both the principal and Assistant Superintendent of Student Services.
 

  • 1. Independent Study is a signed contract between the student, parent/guardian, and the school district.

    2. The principal may use his/her discretion to approve or deny a contract.

    3. Your child’s teacher and the school office staff must be notified a minimum of 5 school days in advance to compile homework assignments and prepare the Independent Study contract.

    4. Each contract is limited to a minimum of 5 days to a maximum of 10 school days, beginning on the first day of absence, and ending on the returning day, i.e. the 11th day for a maximum of 10 excused school days. If the contract date lapses (12th day) without work being returned to the school by a child or parent, the contract is void. Void contracts will affect future independent contracts being granted.

    5. Homework may be turned in early for appropriate credit, but not late. A student will not be given attendance credit if work is turned in late or goes past the stipulated contract date by one day. The student on an Independent Study contract must personally turn in homework prior to, but no later than the due date on the contract.

    6. Teachers require a minimum of one week to evaluate returned work which represents 5 to 10 days of school attendance with appropriate credit of 1 to 10 days of ADA credit depending on the quality and quantity of the work returned.

    7. Work not turned in by the agreed contract date voids the contract for any reason.

    8. A student with disabilities, as defined in Education Code section 56026, is not eligible for independent study unless his/her individualized education program specifically provides for such participation (Education Code, 51745).

    9. Schools cannot save spaces; if a contract due date is missed and the student has not returned to school he/she may lose their classroom placement if there are resident students on a waiting list ready to fill openings. Upon returning, the student may be administratively placed in another school if there is no longer available space in his/her grade when he/she returns. Students who are ill on their return date, and can provide a doctor’s excuse note, may have a parent/guardian turn in all of their assignments to the school on or before the end of the contract expiration date in order to meet the contract deadline. Schoolwork, approved by the teacher for content, but turned in after the due date, maybe given academic credit, but not attendance credit, and can negatively affect future contract requests.