Attendance Policy

Student attendance is a means of improving student performance and critical in raising student achievement. Together, the staff of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, students, parents and the community must make every effort to lessen the loss of instructional time to students. To accomplish this goal, on April 18, 2007, the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida approved a new Student Attendance Board Rule, which is stated below. Parents and students are responsible for attendance, which shall be required of all students during the days and hours that school is in session. Students are expected to:

▪ be present at school each and every day;

▪ attend class as scheduled;

▪ arrive at school and each class on time; and ▪ demonstrate appropriate behavior and a readiness to learn.

A. Attendance Defined

School Attendance - Students are to be counted in attendance only if they are physically present for at least two (2) hours or engaged in a schoolapproved educational activity which constitutes a part of the instructional program for the student.
Class Attendance - Students are to be counted in attendance if they are physically present in class for at least half of the class period, have been excused by the teacher on a class-related assignment, or have been requested by a member of the school support staff for an approved school activity.
Tardiness – A student is considered tardy if they are not present when the school bell rings for the class assigned. Note: If a student is not present when attendance is taken but is present later in the school day, the student will be marked tardy, not absent. A student who is tardy should never remain on record as being absent.
Early Sign-outs - No student shall be released within the final 30 minutes of the school day unless authorized by the school principal or principal’s designee, e.g., emergency, sickness.

B. Reasonable Excuses for Time Missed at School

Personal illness of the student (medical evidence may be required by the principal for absences exceeding 5 consecutive days). The written statement must include all the days the student has been absent from school. If a student is continually ill and repeatedly absent from school due to a specific medical condition, he/she must be under the supervision of a health care provider in order to receive excused absences from school.
Court appearance of the student, subpoena by law enforcement agency, or mandatory court appearance.
Absence due to a medical appointment requires a written statement from a health care provider indicating the date and time of the appointment and submitted to the principal.
An approved school activity (absences recorded but not reported).
Other absences with prior approval of the principal. 6. Attendance at a center under the supervision of the Department of Children and Families.
Significant community events with prior permission from the principal. When more than one school is involved, the Region Superintendent determines the absence status.
Observance of a religious holiday or service when it is mandated for all members of a faith that such a holiday or service be observed.
Military Connected Students – M-DCPS is committed to assist students from military families and will continue to facilitate the development and implementation of policies that directly impact on children of military personnel. To ease the burden of our students who have parents that may be deployed or on “Block Leave,” schools will allow up to a total of 5 days of excused absences each academic year to allow families time together.
Death in the immediate family.
School sponsored event or educational enrichment activity that is not a school-sponsored event, as determined by the principal. The student must obtain advance written permission from the principal. Examples of special events include: public functions, conferences, and regional, state, and national competitions.
Outdoor suspension.
Individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the principal. The principal
shall require documentation related to the situation.

C. Unexcused School Absence Due To:

Vacations, personal services, local non-school event, program, or sporting activity; 2. older students providing day care services for siblings;
Illness of others; and
Non-compliance of immunization requirements unless lawfully exempted.

Absences not included in the excused absences listed above shall be considered unexcused. Student absences will be marked as unexcused until the required documentation is submitted. Failure to provide the required documentation within three school days upon the return to school will result in an unexcused absence.

Unexcused absences do not require that the teacher provide make-up work for the student. A student accumulating ten (10) or more class unexcused absences in an annual course or five (5) or more class unexcused absences in a designated semester course may have quarterly, semester, and final grade(s) withheld pending an administrative screening and completion of assigned interventions by the Attendance Review Committee.

Unexcused absences shall not be grounds for suspension from school, but may result in detention, intervention strategies, or placement in alternative programs. Any student who fails to attend a regularly scheduled class and has a “no excuse” for the absence should be referred to the appropriate administrator. Disciplinary action should include notification to parents.

Chronic truancy or deliberate nonattendance more than fifteen (15) consecutive school days within a ninety-day (90) calendar period will be sufficient grounds for withdrawal of students sixteen (16) years of age or older, who are subject to compulsory school attendance under Florida Statute Section 1003.21.

EARLY DISMISSAL

Parents/guardians must come to the reception area to request early dismissal.
Parents/guardians must present picture identification which must be consistent with the information on the Emergency Contact Card; after a student’s 5th early dismissal, a doctor’s note will be required for make-up work to be provided.
NO student will be released after 2:00 p.m.
Early dismissal will count as absences and will affect the student’s attendance record for the classes missed.
A parent/guardian must come in person to add or delete names to the Emergency Contact Card.
No one under the age of 21 may sign-out any students.

MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS

Teachers are required to provide students with make-up assignments once the absence is excused; however, it is the student's responsibility to request the assignments from the teacher(s).

SEVERE CLAUSE VIOLATION

Severe Clause Violation In a severe clause violation of the Student Code of Conduct or any other school policies and procedures, the parent/guardian will pick up the student. Any infraction within the Severe Clause will result in further administrative action. Severe violations include, but are not limited to: fighting, profanity, stealing, defiance of school personnel, assault upon a staff member, continuous disruptive behavior, any posting of videos or pictures pertaining to Mater Academy’s students or faculty, as well as possession and/or use of drugs, tobacco, electronic cigarettes (vapes), alcohol, and weapons.